<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Island by Septimius_Jackson</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26427817">The Island</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Septimius_Jackson/pseuds/Septimius_Jackson'>Septimius_Jackson</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Island (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>All Human, Characters Are OOC For Story Reasons, F/M, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:27:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>34,371</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26427817</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Septimius_Jackson/pseuds/Septimius_Jackson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The year is 2019, just several years after The Contamination. The last survivors now live in a futuristic sterile colony, waiting for their chance to go to The Island. At random, a game called the lottery is played, using the names and faces of all the thousands of inhabitants of The Facility, save for the staff and the Director himself, before landing on the one lucky winner who gets to go to the Island. </p><p>Is The Island really the last uncontaminated place on Earth? Percy Six Echo is beginning to question things he doesn't understand, like how do they keep finding survivors, if everyone outside of the facility is dead? All the mean while, something keeps telling Percy Six Echo, something bad is about to happen.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annabeth Chase &amp; Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>The Percabeth Filmverse AUs</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter One - The Facility</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello,<br/>I know many of you are probably going to skip this, I know I would, and have done in the past, but before you go, I ask that for any of you who know the plot to The Island, please do not spoil it for anyone who has not because this story is basically a retelling of that story, but with Percy and Annabeth as the main characters. If you do not like the movie, or disagree with the plot, then I strongly suggest you not read this as it is a retelling.<br/>Thank you.</p><p>This is the first fan fiction I am posting, so I welcome any criticism or advice in the comments, from anyone. All I ask is that you remain polite in the comments to me and to others in the comments as well. I do not wish to have fights break out or feelings get hurt because someone decided to post something hurtful. It's 2020, people. We should not even have to think about this.</p><p>If you have read on this far, I applaud you, for I certainly have not had the patience to read that far into an Author's Note, so thank you for your time.</p><p>Now for the usual. This is a disclaimer; Neither the plot nor the characters are my own, those belong to Micheal Bay, Caspian Tredwell-Owen(Story writer) and Rick Riordan respectively. I am simply retelling the same story using different characters.</p><p>Now onto the show!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h3>Chapter One</h3>
<h4>The Facility</h4><p>	Soft white clouds drifted lazily overhead above a peaceful island of grass and cliffs overlooking calm ocean waters. Smaller rocks and pillars dotted the coastline, natural arch ways carved into the rock over time making up the different coves of the island. Nearby a small black hulled, wooden decked boat sailed by the island’s coast, heading towards a particular cove in the distance.</p><p>	All the meanwhile, images of a young blonde haired woman with stormy grey eyes periodically flashed into view. She sat on the bow of the vessel, staring out across the water at the island with a smile, revealing in the soft ocean breeze. She wore a thin white dress, the dress’ material fluttering and flapping from the wind.</p><p>	Behind the woman, a man stepped out onto deck, wearing a form fitting grey shirt and white pants, his black hair disheveled and messy from the wind, sea green eyes sparkling in the light. Walking towards the woman, she turned in response and grinned, the sun’s rays reflecting off of the water and onto her face. For a moment, both remained still, shifting with the vessel’s gentle rocking motion, before the blonde haired woman stretched out her arm. The man grinned and did the same.</p><p>	Milliseconds after he did so, a hand grasped his forearm, pulling him into the waves. Strange creatures resembling human males, albeit with bluish hued skin tugged him deeper as he screamed for the woman. As though unaware of the danger, the woman continued smiling, though she was under water as well. Bubbles swarmed out of his mouth with each scream the longer he remained under. For a moment, the man thought he was trapped in a bubble of plastic screaming and scraping at the bubble's walls to get out, before the image vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.  “You’re special,” A man’s voice suddenly spoke, unhindered by the chaos surrounding the man. The blonde woman kept smiling at him as though she could not see the peril they were both in, still drifting just out of reach.  “You have a very special purpose in life.” The image returned, though this time he had his face pressed against the plastic, running out of breath as he slowly succumbed to the water around him.</p><p>	The woman seemed to scream out a word, perhaps his name, before he was somewhere else, in a pool erupting from the surface. “You’ve been chosen,” Someone’s gloved hands held his head, water spewing from his mouth. A series of images flashed before the man’s eyes, the bones of a hand like that of an x-ray, bubbles seemingly drifting upwards to some unknown light above, an older man’s face, the same man who had been speaking, and a symbol he recognized as the universal symbol for toxic chemicals. All of these images raced before his eyes, before vanishing, just as quick as everything else. He returned to the ocean for a moment, before more images appeared, too quickly to recognize. Almost like they were a past life. “The Island awaits you.” the man spoke one final time, before a deep chuckle took over, the growl of some kind of monster right next to his ear replaced that.</p><p>	Then almost as if things were not weird enough the water began to drain, taking the monsters with it, leaving the man to lay upon a soft, dry bed.</p><p>	Percy Six Echo shot up from his bed, gasping for breath as he took in his surroundings. A sparsely decorated room filled with nothing but white. A white chair, white shelves. White walls and ceiling, not to mention the bed was white as well. Letting his head drop to the pillows beneath him, he looked up at the single black stripe above him, the words written in green digital text scrolled across it.’GOOD MORNING, Percy Six Echo’. His panting filled the otherwise silent room as he calmed down. Soon new words replaced it. ‘ERRATIC REM SLEEP CYCLE DETECTED’ He continued to just lay there, allowing his breathing to even, before reaching over to his left wrist and pulled free a small black transmitter from his wrist identification.</p><p>	He wore a simple white t-shirt and white shorts, matching the consistent theme of white around him. Rising up and sitting up properly on his bed he breathed in deeply, mentally preparing for the day. To his left, another communication stripe activated, displaying ‘PLEASE REPORT TO TRANQUILITY CENTER’. He glanced at it, before bracing his elbows against his knees and sighing into his hands. “Ohhh, I’m fine I’m fine I’m fine.” He said before sighing again. Standing up, several lights came on, and the door to the bathroom opened automatically. The words changed again, prompting another sigh from the man. ‘FOR WELLNESS EVALUATION - 0800 HOURS’.</p><p>	Percy shuffled into the bathroom and lifted the lid, staring at yet a third panel, this one blank. It did not stay that way as when he began to do his business, it displayed ‘SCREENING…’ for a moment, before changing to show the found results, ‘SODIUM EXCESS DETECTED’ This also got a sigh out of Percy, before changing a third time, this time showing ‘ADVISING NUTRITION CONTROL’ For the fourth time that morning, he sighed yet again, bowing his head in frustration. Pulling up his pants, he turned away, both flushing the toilet and shedding his shirt. As he did so, a panel opened to his side, revealing a chute for which he dropped his shirt into.</p><p>	A female computer voice sounded over the loudspeakers, “Good morning, tower one.” He quickly dropped his shirt into the open chute and walked forward towards another panel in the wall. “Exterior contamination index is 85%.” Percy swiped his bracelet against a metal scanning device, prompting three individual drawers to open up one after the other. The first was filled with clean folded white shirts with grey stripes. The second was filled with matching white tennis shoes while the third was filled with white socks. “Sunny and mild.” Continued the report.</p><p>	Percy leaned closer to the middle drawer with a look of mild annoyance, before turning to the small camera above the bracelet device. “Hey I’m missing a left shoe,” he spoke in the off chance that one of the operators watching the seemingly thousands of cameras would notice him, or care.”And when you get a chance I would like another color.”</p><p>	Stepping out of his room fully clothed, Percy entered a long curved hallway lined with many more rooms like his, each with another man leaving wearing the same clothes. Locking his room by tapping a button on the console next to his door, he turned and began to walk away, a shorter, older man saying “Morning” as he walked passed the raven haired man. Percy repeated the greeting before turning away, keeping to himself.</p><p>	Entering a wider hallway, this one with angled windows on one side,the number 312 on the wall behind him, and benches lining the other wall, Percy headed straight to the line leading to the elevator.</p><p>	“Hey, Percy, how you doing?” Another man, Leo asked, walking up to him. On the short side, Leo resembled one of the elves Percy remembered learning about from one of his classes at the facility. His trouble maker attitude made him an annoyance.<br/>
“I’m missing a shoe.” Was Percy’s only answer. They both continued towards the elevator, just as the doors opened. Percy, cutting in front of another larger man, stepped towards the elevator. The man, making a small deal out of it, tapped Percy’s shoulder and said “Hey, you’re cutting.” Percy turned around and smiled, replying “Yeah.” before letting the older man who had greeted him earlier get on first. The older man thanked him, and stepped on, followed by the sea green eyed man. Percy’s friend then said we’re full to the larger man, causing Percy to smile.</p><p>	The doors closed with a hiss, as the same female computer stated, “Good Morning. July 19, 2019.” Leo huffed.<br/>
“Another day in paradise.” he stated to the guys around him in the elevator. Behind them, the elevator’s screen began playing a video. The words ‘THE LOTTERY’ marked the screen. A series of images from a paradise island flashed before the video landed on an image of the same island from Percy’s dream, though this image was taken from the birds eye view. All the meanwhile a game show drum roll style music played, ending with a deep, low tone.</p><p>	‘THE ISLAND WINNER’ The words flashed across the screen in quick succession, before the female voice finished the sentence. “Starkweather Two Delta… Your time has come.” Percy continued staring ahead rather than at the screen behind him, ignoring the event playing out on the screen. “You’re moving to The Island.” The woman, a black haired beauty finished, still in that game show style. The woman was replaced by a dark skinned male, who barely contained his happiness as he spoke his name. “Starkweather 2 Delta here. And as you know, the biggest dream of my life just came true.” The screen flashed before the man’s face returned, reminiscent of how some interviews would go where the speech was split into pieces rather than one long go. “I mean, I’ve only been with you guys for, like, six months, but I won the lottery.” His face flashed again. “That’s right, me. Six months.”</p><p>	Leo muttered the same words in disbelief. Starkweather continued to go on an excited speech about The Island, repeating again and again how he had won. The more he spoke, the more agitated Leo became, until he hit the screen with his fist. Percy, having been ignoring the whole show, turned at the commotion, glancing at Leo before turning back around. Meanwhile in the control level, an alert went out about the commotion in the elevator. The woman returned, explaining The Island to be the last pathogen free zone on the Earth, and said “You can be a winner, too. The next lottery is tonight.” Leo repeated the phrase in an exaggerated tone, prompting laughter from the others.</p><p>	“How long have you been here? He asked the older man.</p><p>	“Two years.” He admitted with a smile.</p><p>	“Mm. What about you?” He asked, looking at Percy.</p><p>	“Three.” Was all Percy said.</p><p>	“Three… I’ve been here seven. If I do the math, that makes me the biggest lottery loser in the room.” Percy stared at Leo, unimpressed by his antics. “I’m such a loser.” The elevator was quiet once more as they descended into the main building of the large base. Just outside the window revealed the base to be located on water, nearby the very island everyone was talking about. The structure was massive, three massive towers surrounding an almost pyramid shaped building in the center.</p><p>	Italian opera music played in the main atrium as the elevator arrived at its destination, where two men wearing black versions of the uniform Percy and the others wore, were waiting. When the doors opened, revealing the two guards, everyone in the elevator began turning their heads towards Leo, who turned to look behind himself, before realizing why they were there. One of the two guards spoke up. “Sir.” Leo pointed to himself with a hmm? “Yeah. You.” Being pointed out, he began to walk towards the two men, nervous as he did. The others in the elevator continued watching him with fixed stares.</p><p>	“Swipe.” The guard on the left asked, putting a glass pad in front of the short elf-looking man. As he did, his face as well as his name popped up. “Leo 3 Echo. You’ve been flagged for public disturbance before.”</p><p>	Leo began to stutter a little. “I-I had a very small emotional outburst, sir.” He used his right hand and fingers to gesture how small the outburst was.</p><p>	“Safe to say it’s over?” The other guard asked pointedly.</p><p>	“Yes. Very safe.” Leo inhaled deeply before exhaling with the same force as if to prove his point. “I’m feeling much better.” This was said with a smile.</p><p>	“Well, then have a pleasant day.” The first guard said. Leo responded thanking them both, before hurrying away. Percy and the others followed at a slower pace.</p><p>	The main atrium was full of men and women, all wearing the white uniform, as guards wearing the black uniform wandered around in pairs. Percy took a moment to look down at the atrium, where the men and women were gathering to receive their breakfast from the breakfast lines. Walking through the upper level of the atrium, he glanced at people as he walked by, never staying a moment to converse with those around him. He passed by several yoga classes, as well as an obviously pregnant woman who was chatting with another woman. He walked by a bicycle workout class, and paused a moment to look longingly at the pool, before hurrying to the breakfast lines. Nearby, four guards surrounded a man who started to get violent, and restrained him, before pulling him away. The PA system activated once more. “Remember, be polite, pleasant and peaceful. A healthy person is a happy person.”</p><p>	Percy entered the line, swiped his band, and looked to the food lady before him. “Percy Six Echo. Choices are fruit, oatmeal, and any type of bran.” </p><p>	Percy looked pained, before asking, “No bacon today?”</p><p>	The woman simply stared at him. “You got a nutrition flag. Means no bacon.”</p><p>	Percy, quick to respond, kept up with her as she walked down the line, retrieving a platter and some silverware. “In that case, I’ll have two eggs over easy - not too runny - and a side of sausages. Maybe some french toast and a little powdered sugar.” She looked at him unimpressed.</p><p>	“You ain’t cute, and I got no time for your lip, Six Echo. Now what’s it gonna be?” A guy next to Percy, an older gentleman, simply told him to get a move on when Percy looked at him.</p><p>	“Surprise me.” The lady, still unimpressed, took the oatmeal nozzle and sprayed a load of the substance onto his platter.</p><p>	“Surprise.” She said without emotion. “Yummy.” Percy looked at the food, then back at her. “Next.” </p><p>	Taking his plate, he began to walk away, before stopping and looking down at his food with a disgusted “Ugh.”</p><p>	“Watch and learn.” Came a female voice by his ear. Percy looked to his side, and smiled. A blonde athletic looking woman with storm grey eyes smiled at him.</p><p>	Approaching the line, she scanned her bracelet, and the same woman read her name. “Annabeth Two Delta.” She glanced up, and smiled sweetly at the blond woman. “Hi, honey.” Annabeth responded with the same smile, greeting her back. “Choices are powdered eggs, dried fruit and yogurt.”</p><p>	Annabeth, pausing to think for a second, followed the woman down the line just like Percy had done minutes before. “Um… eggs, please.”</p><p>	“Okay.” The lady replied, and got to work on making Annabeth’s breakfast.</p><p>	“So where were you the other day? We missed you.” Annabeth spoke, grinning at the woman. The breakfast lady grinned back.</p><p>	“That’s nice of you to say, sweetheart.” Annabeth giggled a little, still smiling. “Get you anything else?” The next line was spoken in a more secretive fashion, as if doing something against the rules.</p><p>	“Maybe a little bacon,” Annabeth considered, before retracting what she has said. “No, it says I shouldn’t.” The lady smiled and told her to go ahead anyways. “Four. Five pieces, please.” With a look suggesting that she shouldn’t be doing that, the breakfast lady handed over the platter containing five more pieces of bacon than there should have been. Thanking her, Annabeth made her way back to Percy, who remained standing in the same spot the entire time.</p><p>	“I softened her up for you.” Percy said the moment Annabeth was in earshot.</p><p>	Smirking at his grin, she replied, “No doubt. Back on your diet, huh?”</p><p>	Percy grinned, “Are you kidding? I love this stuff.” He bantered back.</p><p>	“Well you better eat up; you’re going to need all your strength tonight.” She shot back.</p><p>	“Is that a challenge?”</p><p>	“I promise I’ll go easy on you.” Annabeth grinned, before slipping the five pieces of bacon onto his plate. Before he could say anything however, a man wearing the guard uniform approached them.</p><p>	“Please separate. Find your seats now.” Was all he said. Annabeth nodded, turning away with one last glance at Percy.</p><p> </p><p>	Finishing his breakfast, Percy hurried up a set of stairs as he headed for his 0800 meeting, passing a reading class in the progress. A room full of grown men, all reading together. “‘Who wants Sally?’ said Dick. ‘I do,’ said Jane. ‘I cannot find Sally.’ ‘Get up, Dick. Get up and help me find Sally. Is Sally here?’” Percy continued on past, not sparing a glance at the usual sight, and into a nearby elevator.</p><p>	Moments later, Percy stepped out of the elevator and into a narrow hallway, a set of chairs and a single desk where a woman sat lined one of the walls. Passing by, she told him “Dr, Zeus will see you now.” A man exiting the doors noticed Percy, and smiled politely. “Ah, What’d you do wrong this time, tough guy?” Percy pushed on past without touching the guy, ignoring his comment with a frown. </p><p>	The office itself was nicely decorated, and held about four hundred times the color his room did. Towards one end, raised up several steps was Dr Zeus’s desk, a large glass panel showing an open file. “Sir? You wanted to see me?”</p><p>	“Yes, please.” He responded, gesturing to the chair before him. “Please sit down.” It was a file of Annabeth, Percy realized, the closer he got. The Dr. quickly moved a glass pyramid on his desk to the side, closing out the folder when he noticed Percy had entered the room. “So, how is Percy Six Echo doing today?”</p><p>	Percy looked down. “Not so good, I guess.” The comment from before got to him more than he thought.</p><p>	“Why do you say that?” Zeus asked.</p><p>	“Well, if I’m here, it means I’m not so good.” Dr Zeus recoiled slightly. </p><p>	“That’s a rather negative association.” Seeing Percy’s expression, he continued. “My only job is to see that you’re happy;things are okay with you.” He tapped something on his desk, and the window behind him became opaque.</p><p>	“Right.” Percy responded with a frown. A moment of silence followed before Zeus Attempted conversation a second time. </p><p>	“Your file shows that you’ve been interacting regularly with Annabeth Two Delta.”</p><p>	Percy frowned, clearly not liking how the conversation was playing out. “There’s no law against friendship.”</p><p>	“No. No, we encourage it.” Dr. Zeus was quick to respond. “But, obviously, proximity could become a concern.”</p><p>	Percy’s face hardened. “I know the rules of Proximity.”</p><p> 	Dr. Zeus sighed. “You’ve been doing quite well in most other areas; proficient at work, exercising rigorously, but screening has picked up some trace levels, changes in your metabolism.” He paused for a moment, and looked at Percy, “And you’ve been having nightmares.”</p><p>	Percy moved back in his chair a little, sitting up straighter. “Are you saying there’s something wrong with me?”</p><p>	Dr. Zeus touched his forehead for a moment. “ Why don’t you tell me about your dream?”</p><p>	Percy frowned, “Well, it’s the same dream every time. I’m on a boat, headed to The Island.” Dr Zeus looked intrigued upon hearing about the vessel.</p><p>	“A boat!” He let out a half huff half chuckle. “What kind of boat?”</p><p>	Percy, rather descriptively said, “A nice boat.”</p><p>	Moving the pyramid in his direction, he opened a blank sheet of paper, and tossed him a stylus to draw. “Draw it for me, would you?” As Percy began to draw, Dr. Zeus began speaking again. “So, you’re heading toward The Island. What happens then?”</p><p>	While sketching, Percy simply responded, “I drown.”</p><p>	Dr. Zeus raised his head a little at that. “Really. Why do you think that is?”</p><p>	Still drawing, Percy shot back, “I don’t know, you tell me.”</p><p>	“Maybe you’re afraid of winning.”</p><p>	“Why would I be afraid of winning?”</p><p>	“You tell me.” Zeus fired back. Mid drawing, Percy glanced up, before resuming his task. Instead of answering the question, he just kept drawing, prompting a sigh out of the older man. “What’s troubling you, Percy?”</p><p>	Percy, pausing for a moment, looked back up, waving the stylus around. “Well, it’s...It’s just… Alright. Tuesday night is tofu night. And I’m asking myself; who decided that everyone here likes tofu in the first place? And what is tofu anyway?” The words were falling out of his mouth, speeding up the longer he spoke. “And why can’t I have bacon? I line up every morning and I’m not allowed any bacon for my breakfast. And… tell… let’s talk about all the white. Why is everyone wearing white all the time? It’s impossible to keep clean. I’m walking around, I get… I always get the gray stripe. I never get any color.  And I hand it in to be cleaned, and-and someone cleans it and folds it neatly back in my drawer. But who? Who is that person? I don’t know.” Zeus just stared, watching Percy rant. “I just...” He began to slow, taking a short breath. “I want to know answers and I, and I wish that there was more.” </p><p>	“More?”</p><p>	“Yeah, more… than just waiting to go to The Island.”</p><p>	Zeus left out another huffing laugh. “Percy… it’s your nature to question things. But you don’t realize how lucky you are?” At that Percy looked up. “That you survived The Contamination,that nature has left you a… a Garden of Eden to repopulate. That, Percy, is your purpose.” Percy rolled his eyes, shaking his head a little. </p><p>	“Right. And you? Aren't you going to The Island, too?”</p><p>	Zeus shook his head. “No. My responsibility is to make sure this facility continues to operate. That’s why people like me - my staff and supervisors - we, uh… we can’t win the lottery.” He said the last three words with a short laugh. Noticing Percy was done with his drawing, he used the pyramid and shifted the drawing to his side of the table. “Let me see that.”  Percy slid the stylus across the table and sat back in his chair. The drawing depicted the vessel from his dream, the word Renovatio written beneath the boat. “You draw well.” The Dr examined the image for a moment, before looking at the word in the lower hand portion of the sketch. “Renovatio. What does that mean?” He looked up at Percy.</p><p>	“I don’t know; it’s always in my dream.” Zeus nodded, before glancing back down at the drawing of the boat. </p><p>	“I’d like to run some tests on you, Percy.” Dr. Zeus said after a moment.</p><p>	“What sort of tests?” Percy leaned forward, bracing his forearms on the table top.</p><p>	“Nice tests.” was his only answer. “Come with me.” The older man rose from his chair and gestured for Percy to follow, walking towards a set of doors opposite from the one Percy had entered through.</p><p>	Inside was a variety of equipment, a row of shelves lining one of the walls. Towards the center of the room stood a strange looking chair, facing a table that held several equally strange instruments, like the kind one might find in a lab. ”Take a seat.” The Dr told Percy, tapping the back of the chair, before walking towards the table with the devices. Percy sat down, watching the older man.</p><p>	Zeus turned around after shifting a couple of the objects aside, holding what looked almost like a syringe. “Okay, let’s get you comfortable. Lean back.” He pushed back on the head rest of the chair, causing it to tilt back, metal clamps swinging closed around Percy’s ankles and wrists. A fifth clamp holding his head still.</p><p>	“I thought these were nice tests.’ Percy said through gritted teeth, tensing up.</p><p>	“It’s a synaptic brain scan. Totally harmless.” He pressed a button on the syringe, causing a tube to extend several inches.”Don’t worry, it’s painless.” Percy shifted against the restraints, clenching his hands into fists. Slowly, Zeus lowered the device to just below Percy’s eye, and clicked another button. This time, around ten little orbs fell, landing on his cheek. Each unraveled, becoming small spider-like bots that crawled up his cheek, heading for his eye. Percy tried closing his eye, but Zeus pried it open with his fingers, and the small bots began to slip between his eyelid and his eye itself. Percy began to shake, letting out groans of pain as the spider bots forced their way in.</p><p>	“Ah! That hurts!” Zeus shook his head.</p><p>	“Not really.” His voice was soft, ever so calm as he kept Percy’s eye open.</p><p>	“Yeah, it does!”<br/>
"No, it doesn’t.” The Dr responded in the same manner.</p><p>	“Yeah, it really, really does!” He kept struggling, the restraints holding firm, though to no avail as all ten completed their programmed task. Finally, Zeus let go, letting Percy shut his right eye.</p><p>	“The micro sensors will move along your optic nerve.” Percy could barely hear him, too focused on the pain in his eye. “They’ll be uploading readings to us over the next 24 hours. After which, you’ll pass them through your urine.” He chuckled a little, still watching Percy groan in pain. “Now, that might hurt.” Zeus turned away, releasing Percy from the restraints.</p><p> </p><p>	Minutes later, Percy was walking towards his work station, rubbing at his eye in an attempt to alleviate the pain. The wall next to the doors Percy was walking towards read, ‘4’ ‘Department of Operations’ The room itself was pretty large, filled with all manners of scientific equipment, including several tables with red and blue colored tubes on top. Several men and women were working at the stations using needles to inject the tubes with , as others hurried about or worked on other equipment, A smaller room with glass walls stood off to one side, where several women including Annabeth Two Delta transported the chemicals and nutrients to and from storage.</p><p>	Moments after entering, the head of the department called out his name.</p><p>	“Six Echo, you’re late.” Percy said nothing, handing over a slip of paper the Dept. head looked over, before walking towards his station.</p><p>	Percy sat at one of the tables with the tubing, holding one of the needle devices as he inserted a small amount of the nutrients inside to each tube. He had placed a plastic green covering over his clothes to prevent them from getting dirty, A small computer screen next to his chair, a read out of his station. ‘Injector 04’ Glutamine 2%’ ‘12mmg’ ‘Insert into Nutrient Line A4’. Across from him, another man sat doing the same exact thing he was. The man opposite Percy was slightly skinnier than Percy, his dark brown hair just as unruly.</p><p>	“Grover, you ever get bored of doing this?” He asked, glancing up at his friend.</p><p>	“Doing what?” Grover replied without looking up from his task.</p><p>	“This.”</p><p>	“I never really thought about it.” Grover stated, still not looking up at Percy.</p><p>	“I think about it a lot.” Percy admitted, prompting Grover to ask ‘about what’. “This boring job.” Grover had still not looked up. “I mean, what are we doing here, anyway?”</p><p>	Grover kept at his task and responded, “Well, they say we’re feeding the nutrient lines. We eat food; food’s got to have vitamins, right?” He finally looked up at Percy, pausing for a moment. “It’s good for us.” then promptly returned to his job.</p><p>	“You don’t ever wonder about anything?” Percy asked incredulously. Grover paused for a short moment. “Where do these tubes go?” Grover glanced up at Percy, and stared for a moment. Percy gestured for him to answer.</p><p>	“They start there and they go… whoop…” the half bald headed man started, gesturing to one side of the table, following it with his finger, “Right there.” He had gestured to maybe five, six feet of the lines. Behind Grover Leo appeared seemingly out of nowhere, wearing the same thing as the other two, holding a tray of different colored liquids inside glass vials.</p><p>	“Hey, did you get a look at the new guy?” The other two turned to look where Leo was looking. A short ways away, at another table sat a man with barely any hair, as another man who wore a lab coat like the Dept. Head was directing him.<br/>
“Seven Foxtrot.” Leo said, as they watched the Lab assistant try to direct the slower man. Grover inhaled, excitement in his voice.<br/>
“They found another survivor.” He said that with awe, “They keep finding them.” He said with a little disbelief.</p><p>	“He’ll probably win the lottery tomorrow.” Leo said wistfully. Based on the ‘new guy’s’ actions, he was slower than everyone else, acting with the mindset of a toddler. The lab assistant directed his hand, telling him to line the needle up with the holes, only for the guy to miss. While the man tried to help direct, the new guy picked up one of the vials, intending to put it in his mouth. “Man, did we all look that stupid when we went through decontamination?” Leo asked, a little disturbed.</p><p>	Grover paused looking up at Percy. “Hey, Mr. Man with All the Questions, let me ask you this:” Percy leaned in, still continuing his work. “Lottery’s supposed to be random, right?”</p><p>	“Right.”</p><p>	“What if it’s not? What if it’s rigged?” He asked, staring right at Percy. Percy looked up at that, frowning slightly.</p><p>	“Rigged?” He was quickly shushed by Grover.</p><p>	“I’ve been working on this. Here.” Grover revealed a piece of folded up paper from his pocket, handing it to Percy while Leo looked on, unamused. “Take a look at that.” Percy unfolded the paper, only to find it covered in small written scrawled numbers and letters. “It charts the last 20 people that won a spot on The Island. Excluding, of course, the women. Picked to be breeders.” Percy looked up from the paper, frowning even more.</p><p>	“What is this?” He pointed at a small list on the paper.</p><p>	“I took the first letter in each name, I assigned it a point value system based on its position in the alphabet, like the last guy, Starkweather, S equals 15… Q equa… Q equals 15, S equals 19.” Grover reminded himself, “Do you see what I’m saying?” Percy nodded his head.</p><p>	“No.”</p><p>	“Well maybe if you would listen to me, I’m trying to tell you.” Grover got angrier the longer he spoke. “You string the numbers together, you divide it by the amount… you multiply by the amount… you divide it by the amount of people… you divide it... “ Grover glanced down, stuttering as he forgot the formula. “You divide it by the amount of people in here.”</p><p>	“Alright,” Percy said placatingly.</p><p>	“Which is a thou… 25… 1,000 plus five, which is 2,500. You know what that spells? G-R-O-V-E-R.” Percy frowned in disbelief at the mismatching formula. “I’m winning the lottery tonight.” Grover grinned.</p><p>	“Did you pack?” Percy asked, choosing to believe the formula was right against all odds for his friend.</p><p>	“No.” Grover stammered, his face going slack in shock.</p><p>	“Gentlemen,” Leo spoke up, “I’m going to go mess with Foxtrot.” He said like a soldier going on his mission to do his duty. Percy and Grover watched, remaining where they were seated. As the lab assistant continued his attempt to help the man, Leo quietly reached over and grazed the new guy’s ear, causing him to slap himself. The lab assistant turned and glared at Leo, who knelt by the table with a sheepish grin.</p><p>	“What? He had something on his…” The lab assistant pointed away, and told him to go in a commanding voice. Grover started chuckling at the sight. </p><p>	Rather suddenly, a pregnant woman in the glass walled room nearby collapsed, dropping her tray. The vials landed on the floor and shattered, alerting the other women with a gasp of surprise. Percy and Grover both glanced towards the noise, watching on in concern. She began to groan in pain, while the other women in the room surrounded her, asking if she was alright.</p><p>	“Lima, are you okay?” Annabeth asked, kneeling beside the pregnant woman. “What’s wrong?” The Department Head rushed over, calling out to another. </p><p>	“Code 15, we need med techs down here, stat! Lima One Alpha.” Annabeth continued to ask what was wrong, grasping at Lima’s arm. “Everyone, give her some air, okay?” The Dept. Head asked. Another man reassured her, telling her to breath as a wheelchair was called for.</p><p>	Lima smiled, and looked at Annabeth. “I think it’s time.” She said while panting. A look of realization came over Annabeth’s face and she began to smile in return.</p><p>	“Lima, you’re going to The Island.”</p><p>	“We’re going.” Lima corrected.</p><p>	“Oh, you’re so lucky. I hope I see you soon.” As a wheelchair was brought in, Grover set his injector down. “Good luck Lima…” Annabeth told her as she was wheeled out. The room burst into applause as she exited the storage room, cheering for her good luck. Grover clapped slowly, his displeasure showing.</p><p>	“That’s fair. That’s real fair.” Lima was carted out of the room, and the rest of the workers returned to their duties. The women working in the storage area were told to wait as two figures wearing hazmat gear and carrying vacuums entered the room and began to clean up the mess. “That is so not fair!” Grover grumbled to himself. “Oh, man, I hate this jealousy thing. It’s giving me heart palpitations.” Percy ignored him and reached for a nearby phone. </p><p>	Entering a couple of numbers, he placed it up to his ear. “Tech Services. Computer’s down again.” He finished, looking at Grover. Rising from his seat, he approached the Dept. Head. “I’m down. Uh, computer guy’s in Sector Six.” The other man huffed, reaching for the necklace around his neck. </p><p>	“I have to deal with this mess. Take my Tri-Key, contamination kit - hurry back.” He finished pointing at him.<br/>
“Absolutely.” He responded, then walked out. </p><p>	Having finished gearing up, He walked towards the door leading towards Sector Six, and plugged the Tri-Key into the lock. A number of caution signs were scattered all around and on the door, telling of the contamination on the other side. The door unlocked, letting him through. The catwalk between the sectors was devoid of life, gasses spewing from machines as they wired away. A yellow light encapsulated the area, blanketing the area in a non friendly light.</p><p>	On the other side, Percy arrived in a much larger room, filled with machinery and sparks as engineers worked on the piping and machines. One of the workers noticed him, and told him to leave, but Percy pointed at the center of the room. “I’m going to see this guy.” Deciding it wasn’t worth the trouble, the man let him pass. The man in the center, the only one not wearing a hazmat suit waved him down, speaking around the flashlight in his mouth. </p><p>	“Chief, we’ve got live wire all over the place here.” Ignoring him, Percy continued walking towards him.</p><p>	“Hey.” He greeted the man through the face mask. “I’ve been looking all over for you.” The man gestured to his ears with a frown.</p><p>	“What?”</p><p>	“I’ve been looking all over…”</p><p>	“I can’t hear you…” Percy removed his mask, and repeated himself.</p><p>	“I said I’ve been looking all over for you.” The man across from him was covered in grease, looking a little annoyed at Percy’s presence.</p><p>	“Look, you go and get yourself contaminated, don’t come pointing your finger at me.”</p><p>	Percy grinned. “How are you going, Charles?” The tall man looked back at Percy. </p><p>	“What are you doing here?”</p><p>	“My chip fried again.” Was Percy’s answer. Charles shook his head. </p><p>	“Yeah, your chip fried. How much longer you think that one’s gonna work?” Percy laughed. “What are you two clowns looking at?” Charles shouted at two other workers watching them talk.</p><p>	“Hey, you got any of that stuff with you today?” Percy asked. The other man sighed.</p><p>	“Oh, look, it’s break time.” He stated to himself in a loud manner. “Come on.” Charles told Percy in a quieter voice.<br/>
“You’re a bad influence on me. Must be why I like you so much.” Charles told him while they walked towards his office area up on a floor above.</p><p>	“What’s it like where you live - in Sector Five?” Percy asked as they both leaned over the railing, Charles taking a short gulp of his flask, before he passed the silver bottle to Percy.</p><p>	“Well, it’s fine, you know. It’s like any other sector, I guess.” Percy took a long gulp, before passing it back. The burning in his throat caused him to gasp.</p><p>	“I like coming out here, talking.” Percy said after a moment. “Most supervisors don’t like to talk.”</p><p>	“Yeah,” Charles grinned, looking back at Percy, before turning away and walking into his office. “Step into my office.” The room was cluttered with all manner of machine parts and tools, taking up most of the room itself. Charles sat down on a chair off to one side, sighing as he rubbed his hands together. Stepping through the doorway, Percy noticed a collage of images - Women - all of whom were wearing little clothing. </p><p>	“Are these your friends?” He asked. Charles chuckled, and jokingly said, “Yeah, sometimes.” The joke was lost on Percy however.</p><p>	“Where are their clothes?” He asked, causing Charles to look at Percy in disbelief. “Hey, what’s with Dr. Zeus?”<br/>
“You mean, why does he act like he’s got a filing cabinet shoved up his ass?” The other man asked. Percy, who had been drinking from the flask, burst out laughing, spitting what he had in his mouth out.</p><p>	“Yeah.” Percy laughed with a nod.</p><p>	“Well, it’s called a God Complex. All doctors are like that. They think they know everything.” </p><p>	Percy sat down across from Charles with a frown. “What’s God?”</p><p>	Charles looked back at Percy and sighed. “Well, you know, when you want something really bad and you close your eyes and wish for it?” Percy nodded. “God’s the guy that ignores you.”</p><p>	Percy frowned, looking at the ground. “Oh, r… right.” A man called over the radio, breaking the silence between the two men, calling for Charles’ help in Product extraction.</p><p>	“Yeah, I’ll be right there.” He rose from his seat and began walking out of his office, before turning around. “Oh, hey… let me get that.” Percy passed him the flask, and stood up as well.</p><p>	“Where do you get that stuff, anyway?”</p><p>	“It’s an old stash, you know, from, uh, before.” Percy stared at him.</p><p>	“You mean from before The Contamination.”</p><p>	“Yeah. Come on, you’re killing me with questions here.” Charles said in exasperation. “Now, come on, you got a really sweet deal here, you know, because you’re, uh… you know, like, special.”</p><p>	Percy frowned again. “Why? Why am I special?”</p><p>	“There’s another question.” Charles fired back. “Now look. You remember what we talked about, right? You don’t tell anybody about our conversations, do you?”</p><p>	“No.”</p><p>	“Cause that could get me in big trouble.” Charles continued.</p><p>	“No, I don’t.” Percy repeated.</p><p>	“Good.” Charles stated.before turning around and walking away. Percy stood there for a moment, just processing what had been spoken, when he heard a strange rustling coming from an open door way. Curiosity got the better of him, and he walked towards the sound. In on off shoot from the corridor, Percy found a small, flying bug, just flickering about. Grabbing the ladder in front of him, he pulled himself higher to get a better look at the creature. Reaching out, he snagged the bug in an open hand, and gently held it in his hand, holding the flashlight he had retrieved from Charles’ office in his teeth. The bug was about half the size of his palm, from wing tip to wing tip, and was colored a dirt brown. Hurrying back to the office, he grabbed a small box marked ‘Aces &amp; Spades’ ‘“Where Route 39 Meets The Tucson Skies.”’ and slipped the bug inside. After quickly scattering the tooth picks inside onto the floor.</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, Charles Beckendorf pushed a tech cart full of supplies and tools into another room somewhere else in the structure. He was whistling a tune as he pushed the cart, and greeted a scientist as she passed by. “Hey, how are you? How’s your world?” The woman paid him no attention and continued walking. “Okay, I’ll catch you later.” He said, talking to no one. Shoving the cart into an unlocked room, he approached the computer terminal facing a strange plastic bubble laying on a rounded ovalish table. Two men wearing clean scrubs moving about. “Chinese junk locked up again, huh?” He asked one of the men.</p><p>	“Yep!” Was his only answer. Sitting down at the desk, he answered the man.</p><p>	“What a surprise.” The table spun closer into view, revealing the shadowy figure of someone stuck inside. A large cord connected the bubble to some machine out of sight, as large flood lights came on, illuminating the area better.</p><p>	“You better fix that thing.” The second man in the room commanded, before picking up some kind of blade and turning back to the bubble. Charles waved him off, and got to work.</p><p>	“Man, you’d think with all the money this place is raking in, they could afford some decent equipment.” The same man said<br/>
‘Yeah’, before asking the first man if he was ready. Wiping his gloved hand along the plastic revealed a man’s face, still somewhat distorted by the water and creased plastic wall. Charles leaned to his right, hearing the man’s word, and looked on with a little bit of disgust.</p><p>	“Cut the O2.” His partner reached over and flicked off one of the switches on the wall beside him.</p><p>	“Whoa, seriously, guys. Unless you want to see me blow chunks, can you wait till I’m gone?” Charles asked in vain, turning a little green in the face.</p><p>	“Sever the umbilical.” One said to the other, ignoring the computer tech. </p><p>	“Cutting,” the other man called out, severing the cord from the connection point. Fluid, the color of blood began to flow from the docking port, running down the sides of the plastic. One of the two men then stabbed the blade into the bubble, and proceeded to rip the side open lengthwise. A cascade of what appeared to be water rushed to the ground, where a grate waited to take in the unneeded liquid. Peeling back the cover, a naked man’s body could be seen, a type of oxygen mask covering his mouth. Charles recoiled looking away from the scene with a groan. Removing the mask, the two men placed an oxygen respirator mask over the third man’s mouth and began pumping. “Breath.” The second man said to him. Keeping the oxygen going, he pulled back to let the fluid drain from his lungs. Before replacing the mask one more time. Getting a little more frantic, the first man removed the mask and dug around in his mouth, before pulling free a hand full of mucus. The man laying on the table kept coughing up the stuff and they relaxed.</p><p>	“There you go. Now you’re working. He’s healthy.” More fluid was evacuated from his throat before they proceeded to hose him down, cleaning him of the liquid.</p><p>	“Welcome to the world.” The other man said. A doctor burst into the room from a secondary door, wearing the same scrubs as the two men, and approached the patient.</p><p>	“So… how’s Three Hilo?” He asked.</p><p>	“Good.” The man laying on the table turned to his side and began sucking on his thumb, unaware of what was going on around him. The doctor took his head and placed him on his back again, fighting against Three Hilo’s movements.</p><p>	“Feisty." He said with a chuckle. "Light.” He ordered, and one of the two provided a light with which the doctor began checking Three Hilo’s eyes. “Vitals seem fine.” He said, before moving to his stethoscope. “Smooth extraction?” He asked the others.</p><p>	“Yep.” Checking his heart, the doctor remained silent. </p><p>	Finally, the doctor turned to the others in the room with a smile. “Looks like we have a fine product. Tag him and ship him to Foundation.” The others got to work as he left, implanting a reader in his left wrist, and hooking a bracelet around the same arm. The table, done with it’s work, returned from where it had come from, where more than a dozen others waited for the same process to occur. Each was in various stages. Some nearly complete, others nothing more than nerves in the shape of humans. Those tubes that connected to the umbilical ran several floors higher, into small tubes, colored blue and red. Right where Grover was continuing his work.</p><p> </p><p>	Unaware of what just transpired in the other room, Percy made his way down the corridor lined with the men's bedrooms to where his room was, where he removed the flowers from the table, and slipped the bug inside with a grin, watching it fly around. “Little bug.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter Two - The Escape</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The year is 2019, just several years after The Contamination. The last survivors now live in a futuristic sterile colony, waiting for their chance to go to The Island. At random, a game called the lottery is played, using the names and faces of all the thousands of inhabitants of The Facility, save for the staff and the Director himself, before landing on the one lucky winner who gets to go to the Island.</p><p>Is The Island really the last uncontaminated place on Earth? Percy Six Echo is beginning to question things he doesn't understand, like how do they keep finding survivors, if everyone outside of the facility is dead? All the mean while, something keeps telling Percy Six Echo, something bad is about to happen.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello,<br/>I am writing more chapters whenever I can and will be posting chapters when they are finished. I will do my absolute best to not go too long without posting.<br/>Thank you.</p><p>Now for the usual. This is a disclaimer; Neither the plot nor the characters are my own, those belong to Micheal Bay, Caspian Tredwell-Owen(Story writer) and Rick Riordan respectively. I am simply retelling the same story using different characters.</p><p>Now onto the show!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h3>Chapter Two</h3><h4>The Escape</h4><p>Several hours later saw Percy and Annabeth squaring away, wearing much different clothes. Percy swung first, nailing Annabeth in the face… and earning several points on the XBOX hologram. Two more hits, and the crowd groaned at the hit as Annabeth’s avatar hit the ground. Not one to be one upped, she hit back twice as hard when she got back up, knocking Percy’s avatar onto his ass. His character seemed to glitch, before a couple of teeth popped out of his mouth. The two continued exchanging blows before Percy’s avatar finally went down, and Annabeth was named winner. The crowd was cheering the performance on, while Annabeth raised her hands in victory. </p><p>Later, both Annabeth and Percy were making their way through the crowd. “Maybe, next time, I won’t embarrass you in front of your friends.” Percy smiled, before walking to put the gaming gloves away. Finding Annabeth at the bar, he greeted her as he sat down next to her. “Hello.”</p><p>“Hi.” She grinned back. Swiping his bracelet, his name and face showed up beside hers on the bartender’s side.</p><p>“So you just let a little girl beat you, huh?” The same man from Zeus’ office spoke to his left. Chuckling, he turned and left, causing Percy to frown at his words.</p><p>“Stim units restricted.” The bartender told him.</p><p>	“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ll have the veggie stuff.” He told her. </p><p>“Palpassian petal juice, please.” Noticing Percy looking at her, she explained. “It’s good for the skin.”</p><p>After several minutes and relocating to a table together however, and remembering the meeting with Zeus, Percy couldn’t hold himself in. “Annabeth, are you sick?” She frowned at him in confusion. “When I was in Dr. Zeus’ office, I thought I saw your name on a file.” She shrugged.</p><p>“No, I’m fine.” She told him. He looked down, saying okay. “How are you?” Annabeth asked.</p><p>“I’m fine,'' he said smiling at her, though the smile did not reach his eyes.</p><p>“Percy, I can tell when you’re lying, cause your mouth smile but your eyes don’t.” He remained silent, glancing around the room. </p><p>Leaning towards her, he said, “I found something.” Her eyes lit up.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“A bug.”</p><p>“A bug?!” her face took on more of a shocked expression, trying to process what Percy said. </p><p>	“A flying bug.”</p><p>“Can I see it?” She asked, looking at Percy with hope in her eyes.</p><p>“I think it came in the ventilation shaft.”</p><p>“But I thought they went extinct with The Contamination.” She responded.</p><p>“I know, and how did it get by the pathogen sensors?”</p><p>“It must be too small.” She replied, thinking logically.</p><p>“No, it’s not too small. And how did it survive out there, anyway? How does anyone survive? I mean, they keep finding people and bringing them here, but where do they come from?”</p><p>“It’s good that they find survivors.” She retorted, frowning at Percy’s words. “Why do you always question the good? You only think about the bad.”</p><p>“I just have a feeling that something is wrong.”</p><p>“Good things do happen.” She told him. “I want to see that bug.” She told him softly, grinning before she stood up. Almost as soon as she vanished, Grover and Leo appeared, taking a seat next to him.</p><p>“Hey, Leo learned a new word from the censor.”</p><p>“What?” Percy asked, looking to Leo’s grinning face.</p><p>“Dude.” He spoke in a deliberate way.</p><p>“Dude?!” Percy asked.</p><p>“Uh-huh.” Was Leo’s response.</p><p>“What does it mean?” Percy asked.</p><p>“I… I don’t know. He just called me dude.” Leo tried explaining.</p><p>“Hey, dude.” Grover said, grinning.</p><p>“He said, “Hey, dude”?” Percy asked.</p><p>Leo nodded. “Hey, dude. D-O-O-D. Dood.”</p><p>Hey, dude.” Percy tried. The other two copied him, repeating after each other like a chant.</p><p>“Hey, lottery’s gonna start in a minute.” Leo interrupted the other two.</p><p>“Oh, like you stand a chance.” Grover shot back.</p><p>“Dude!”</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, up in command, the staff were beginning the lottery spin. “Light up all ether screens.” Came the command. “And… start the lottery.”</p><p> </p><p>All across the facility, every screen began playing the same game show music from before, the words ‘THE LOTTERY’ appearing on the screen.</p><p>“Good evening. Live from EtherCon, welcome to the lottery spin.” People began to gather in front of whatever screen was closest, and watched in silence. “It’s been a busy week. We’ve had a record two winners so far. Tonight’s winner will be selected at random for relocation to The Island, transported to the world’s last paradise… And now, let the spin begin.” Across every screen, faces began to flash by, and people began clapping and cheering. The spin continued gradually slowing until Annabeth’s face remained on screen. Inside the bar, people had begun cheering and congratulating Annabeth on the win. Percy however just stood there, sullen. Turning to face her, he saw multiple congratulating her, cheering her on.</p><p>“For everyone else, never lose hope.” The computer finished. Finally gathering the courage he needed, Percy walked up to Annabeth’s side. Noticing him, she turned towards him and grasped his elbows gently, him doing the same.</p><p>“I can’t believe it.” They stood close, their faces almost touching as they smiled at one another. Percy couldn’t keep up the facade however, and had to turn away, looking down at their touching arms. “I have to go in the morning.” Annabeth said, having noticed Percy’s sullen mood. He nodded, having lost his smile.</p><p>“You were right.” He finally said to her. “Good things do happen.” They stayed like that for several moments, Annabeth’s eyes flickering down to Percy’s lips and back up. He leaned in… and whispered into her ear. “I wish I’d known you better.” </p><p>Before Annabeth could say or do anything, a voice interrupted them. “You two, watch your proximity.” Was all he said. They turned to look at one another one last time, before letting go. Percy’s arms dropping to his side, as did Annabeth’s to hers.</p><p>“I’ll see you on The Island.” She said with one last smile. Percy, attempting to smile back let out a soft huff.</p><p>Much later, after everyone had gone to bed, Percy dreamed once more of Annabeth, before devolving into yet another nightmare. Percy woke with a gasp and lay still for a moment to catch his breath. Turning to his side, he looked at the flying bug in the vase and paused. Seconds later, he disconnected the sleep transmitter, grabbed the Tri-Key and snuck out of his room. Hurrying to the lobby, he made a break for the same door he took to get to Charles, and opened the door. This time without the suit. All the meanwhile avoiding guards as he did. Upon reaching the same room he found the bug in, he let it go, and followed the creature up the ladder. </p><p>Continuing to climb, he passed several other rooms, before arriving in a small crawl space, still following the bug, he moved along, glancing through the holes until he found a possible exit. Reaching up, he pushed gently on the panel, causing the piece to lift. On the other side, as he peeked out from underneath, he found yet another hallway. Catching sight of two unknown men wearing strange jackets, he lowered the panel and retreated several inches and waited for the two to pass. After they had disappeared from sight, he shoved the panel to the side, and climbed into the unfamiliar hallway. Not twenty steps in, a person walked around the corner from the bend the two men had gone, thankfully walking the other way. He turned and opened the nearest door, walking straight in. Inside, Percy found multiple uniforms, and snatched a blue over coat, like something an assistant would wear.</p><p>Percy continued along, subtly avoiding others as he walked, before ducking into another room. This one had rows of strange machines, as well as a window on the far end. Being too curious, Percy continued forward, hearing the sound of a baby crying. There on the other side of the glass, a woman holding a small infant and a male stood around the woman, fresh from the delivery. With a shock, Percy recognized the woman on the bed to be Lima. She was crying, smiling at the infant.</p><p>“She’s so beautiful. I’ve never seen a baby.” She admitted, gazing at her newborn. The woman’s facial expression never changed, a little unnerving for the situation. “Can I hold her?” Lima asked. The doctor told her no, not yet. “Are we going to The Island?” She asked, and the woman nodded her head, still not saying a word. The doctor, picking up a syringe, checked the cylinder, and the woman placed the infant in the cradle behind her. </p><p>Turning back around, she closed the blue straps on Lima’s ankles, trapping her in place. The doctor, reaching for the IV, plugged the syringe in, and pressed down. In seconds, Lima was crying out in pain. Despite it all, the woman’s face never changed, even when she had to hold Lima’s feet to keep ehr from shaking too much. Seconds later, the heart monitor went from beeping erratically, flatlining. Lima was dead, and a sheet was drawn over her face. Percy, still hidden in the darkness of the other room, looked on in horror.</p><p> </p><p>While Percy was waiting for the room to empty so he could check on Lima, the woman, carrying the child, walked from the room into another down the hall, where a man and a woman who looked exactly like Lima, stood to greet her. “Congratulations. It’s a beautiful girl.” </p><p>The woman was smiling and crying, when she whispered out, “It’s my baby.”</p><p>“Whenever you’re ready, we have copies of your policy termination for our records.”</p><p> </p><p>Percy, after realising that they had killed Lima, quickly left the room, only to find the same men from before, standing next to what appeared to be a help desk.</p><p>“Starkweather - that big, cute football player on the Reebok commercials?” One of the two women at the desk asked with excitement. “Ooh, I love him! Is he in there? I thought that was him, girl.” She told the other. “Ooh, I just love him.”</p><p>	The lead of the two men spoke up. “Uh, that’s great. Listen, you’re a real hoot. Any chance I can make this pickup?” The woman reeled from the man’s attitude.</p><p>“Well-Well, he’s still in surgery. Sorry.”</p><p>“Lady, I’ve got a bird on the pad and a storm’s coming in. We don’t fly in bad weather.” He spoke the last sentence as though she didn’t understand him. She pushed her chair back, took a second long glance at the monitor on the counter, and pushed back.</p><p>“They look <em> real </em> busy, so I’d have a seat.” Both men did as asked, frowning at her. “Grim Reaper coming in here with an attitude.”</p><p> </p><p>	Meanwhile, inside the surgery room itself, a team of nurses and the doctor prepared to begin surgery on Starkweather, the movement of his chest implying they hadn’t put him to sleep. Reading out the different statistics for the man, the doctor ordered the bone saw to be prepared, prompting several mechanical arms to extend from the ceiling with precise movements. The bone saw made its first incision, as blood began to drip from the man’s chest. The pain must have woken him, as his heart beat began to rise, and the effects of whatever drugs they had placed him under began to wear off. With a burst of panicked rage, Starkweather shot up from the table, smashing a nearby glass monitor, before seeing his body. The saw had left a rather shallow incision, but there was still a lot of blood. Jumping from the table, Starkweather ran from the room, past the two men and women, and down the hallway. In his panicked state, Starkweather just kept running, until he entered the same corridor as Percy. </p><p> </p><p>Percy, seeing this happen, took cover behind a nearby desk as guards wearing the same black uniform as before raced into the corridor, holding strange looking weapons. To of the guards held up the rifles and fired, launching pointed pieces of metal connected by wire at the man. Both impacted in his calves, the high tech metal opening like a trap, catching the skin from the other side. With both successful hits, the two men pulled, bringing the massive man to the ground. Starkweather, clawing at the ground, screaming in fear. “No! I don’t want to die! No! No!” Percy, in shock and terrified of what was going on, could do nothing but sit there and watch as four more guards began to pull him backwards, towards his impending death. “I wanted to go to The Island! You promised! I want to live!” </p><p>They continued pulling him down the corridor, when another guard noticed Percy crouching next to the desk. “Hey... “ He got closer, and Percy tensed up as the man reached down for him. “You okay, buddy?” Percy took his hand, and was helped to his feet. “It’s not the first time this has happened, you know?” The guard smiled at him, then turned away, speaking into his radio. “EtherCon, product is secure.”</p><p>Percy, turning away from what had happened, hurried down the hall towards where he had entered the hall, and spirited for the loose panel. Sliding baseball style as he got closer, he grabbed the panel, making room for him to fit, and closed the way behind him. Images of what had just transpired flashing through his mind, along with the thought that Annabeth was next.</p><p> </p><p>At the same time, a group of guards up in the control room were watching the moment Starkweather body slammed one of the guards through the glass door, and were laughing.</p><p>“Gentlemen,” Dr. Zeus spoke suddenly, gaining the attention of the group, who all sobered instantly. “I understand there has been an incident.” He stated, rather than asked.</p><p>“Sir, Starkweather ran from the operating theater.” The same guard who had helped Percy up, spoke.</p><p>“And you find that funny?”</p><p>“No, sir.” Zeus turned towards the other guard, the one who had been making commentary on the video.</p><p>“Do you?”</p><p>“Definitely not, sir.”</p><p>“Play it back, please.” He ordered. The video reversed before reaching the moment the camera had seen the desk Starweather had fallen next to, when he told the guard to stop the video. “Who is that?”</p><p>“That’s just an RN. He was scared. I helped him up.” The guard said.</p><p>“Play it back at half-speed.” Once again, the video reversed, until Zeus ordered the video stop once again. “Freeze. Magnify his wrist.” The guard did so, and the image revealed a bracelet on his arm. The guards reactions were near instantaneous, “We have a product on the loose. Get me a facial match.”</p><p>“We’re on it.” The same guard said.</p><p> </p><p>Annabeth, just waking up, glanced to her left, at the black strip. ‘GOOD MORNING, ANNABETH TWO DELTA’ She smiled as she sat up, thinking about what The Island would be like. The panel changed a second time. ‘SCHEDULED FOR ISLAND DEPARTURE’. </p><p> </p><p>Percy, having taken the elevator in the female tower, pushed past the crowd of women who gasped and told him he couldn’t be there. Ignoring them all, he headed straight for Annabeth’s room. Just as quickly, guards were arming up, preparing to hunt for the escaped product.</p><p> </p><p>Only minutes after Annabeth had gotten dressed and was packing, she heard light, consistent knocking at her door. Upon opening it, she saw Percy, and smiled. “How sweet. You came to say… “ Percy interrupted her,</p><p>“Annabeth, you have to come with me.”</p><p>“What?!” She asked, confused.</p><p> </p><p>Just then, the sensors had gotten a match. They knew Percy had been the one to get loose. “I want a full contamination lockdown.” Zeus ordered. “Find Six Echo.” Already search teams were spreading across the facility, each one armed with the same rifle that had been used to take Starkweather down.</p><p> </p><p>Percy rushed down the hallway, tugging a confused Annabeth behind him. “What are you doing? Men aren’t supposed to be in this sec…” She didn’t get a chance to finish, as Percy pulled her aside. </p><p>“Listen, you got to trust me, all right?”</p><p>	“What are you talking…?” Percy, unable to keep what he had seen hidden, told her. </p><p>“I saw them.”</p><p>	“Who?”</p><p>“Lima and Starkweather. They’re dead.”</p><p>Annabeth couldn’t hold in her shock. “What?!”</p><p>“Yeah, they killed her and they cut him open. He was…” Annabeth cut him off the time.</p><p>“Stop it! Stop!” She cried out, holding her hands over her ears. “ I want to go back to my room.”</p><p>Percy shook his head. “Don’t you understand? I think they’re going to kill you.”</p><p>Annabeth, calming down, said, “I’m going to The Island.”</p><p>“Annabeth, there is no Island!” He told her desperately, before pulling her along once again. “Come on!” The two of them raced through the female tower, bolting towards one of the elevators where Percy hit the button to close the doors. “Just trust me.”</p><p>	After they arrived in the main atrium, the PA system came on. “This is a community bulletin. Attention, residents. A contamination alert has been issued for Percy Six Echo. Anyone coming in contact with him will be quarantined.” At first mutters were spreading among the crowd, then people began screaming as Percy and Annabeth ran through the crowd. Guards shouted at them to freeze, but Percy kept running and Annabeth kept following. They slid down a ramp of concrete that led to lower sections of the building, the grappling hooks of several rifles impacting the concrete as they were fired, taking out chunks of the wall and ground.</p><p>	Ducking into the nearby corridor, the pair continued to sprint, shoving past other people who stood in shock as they ran past. Percy shouted at them, “Get out of the way!” and bolted for the same door he had used already twice in the past day. Fumbling with the key, he eventually managed to unlock the door, and kept running. Beneath them, on a lower catwalk, two guards kept up with them, alerting command to their position. Sprinting through the maze of pipes and concrete walls, they ducked under machinery and ran through puddles, the constant fear of being caught driving them forward. Reaching another room, a group of guards, three to four strong burst from a set of doors on their left. “There they are!”</p><p>	In his hurry to out run the guards, Percy clipped a bucket full of ball bearings, launching them all across the floor like a minefield. The first guard to reach the field slipped, sliding all the way forward, his head impacting on a low hanging pipe. It seemed all for naught though, as they had run into a dead end, a chain link fence blocking their way. </p><p>Percy, the quickest to react, used a hinged pole arm to knock out the next guard, sending it towards the guard's head as he sprinted into it. Grabbing a pole, Percy went to swing the makeshift weapon at the third guard, only to be hit by the heavier duty pole the guard was using. In just three swings, the guard had Percy on his back, before picking him up and tossing him against a wall of pipes. “Percy!” Annabeth screamed out pleading for the guard to stop. </p><p>Ignoring her, the guard hit Percy in the side and kicked him in the ribs. Annabeth, picking up a large wrench, swung the heavy metal tool at the guard’s face as he turned to look at her, knocking him out in one swing. Annabeth quickly helped Percy up, and the two pushed the covering of a nearby crawl space open. Hoping down, the two began to crawl through the tight space, only for the panel beneath them to give out. </p><p>The two fell what had to have been 20 or so feet, landing in a peculiar area. Around them were dozens upon dozens of tables, each containing a person. There was some kind of screen over the faces of each, and a voice the both of them had heard before would speak occasionally in the large room. “You are special. You’ve been chosen… You have a very special purpose.” They both stood quickly, looking around at the nightmarish scene.</p><p>All too soon, more guards began to rappel from the poles around the room, as more entered through an open corridor nearby. Percy and Annabeth hurriedly hunkered down beneath the tables, and kept moving. Not wanting to be caught especially now that they had seen the reprograming room. All the while the man’s voice kept repeating the same thing again and again.</p><p>Percy and Annabeth crawled under the tables, until they had passed the guards, when they both stood up and started running yet again. The corridor they had found led them up multiple levels of a staircase, running along the hallway searching for an unlocked door. Spotting the open one at the end, they bolted for it, and burst into a large room, guards running towards them from behind while even more rushed down a set of stairs on one of the far walls. Spotting the elevator, Annabeth shouted out Percy’s name, drawing his attention. Together they repeatedly pushed the call button, then slipped inside when the door started to open. Only moments after the door closed did the guards make it to the elevator.</p><p>As the elevator was moving, Percy couldn’t help himself. “Still think there is an Island?” Annabeth didn’t answer. The elevator let out onto a catwalk outside of the facility, where the two sprinted out onto a bridge extending away from the facility. The bridge looked as though it extended out beyond the horizon, disappearing into the fog. </p><p>Then they crossed the short overhang that was connected to the bridge, and the Island they were running towards faded out of existence. In its place, an underground base of some sort flipped the space. Running into the structure on the other side, they passed by several empty rooms filled with nothing but what looked like computers and consoles. Just beyond that was a medium sized room, some kind of generator in the center. High above them, two massive fans that spanned the length of the circular room spun at a relatively fast pace, each going a different direction. Annabeth, spotting a blast door to one side, called out to Percy above the sound of the massive fans. Just before leaving however, Percy noticed something. A glass door off to the side revealed a screen that showed a visual representation of the facility, the words ‘HOLOGRAPHIC POWER GRID’ marking the top. Cranking open the door, the two of them broke out into a run yet again, sprinting up a sloping corridor, square lights illuminating the same shape patches on the ground. Eventually the corridor gave way to an unlit, larger corridor, save for the bright light at the end of the tunnel. The pair charged up the sloped hallway, and burst out ito real sunlight, emerging from an opened silo door.</p><p>For the first time, the two of them looked at the open plains of grass and weeds around them, real mountains like giant shadows in the horizon. Actual wind blew against their faces, Percy led the way as he made his way down the dirt mound surrounding Silo 3, and the two continued running, knowing they would not be safe until they were as far away as possible. They ran past a giant fan in the ground, likely the same fan they saw before, jogged through the ruins of concrete buildings running away from the place they had called home for their entire lives. THey broke from the ruins and began running across the actual plains themselves, passing through a broken chain link fence, where they paused for a moment once more. Taking in the feeling of being free of that paradise turned nightmare.</p><p> </p><p>Back underground, within the facility, the PA spoke again. “Percy Six Echo remains in quarantine after contamination exposure. Annabeth Two Delta was safely transported to her new home, on The Island.” Grover stood facing his supervisor, a look of determination on his face. “Grover Three Echo, I need you to concentrate in this lab.”</p><p>“Sir, I want to focus more than anything. I love my job. It’s very interesting.” His supervisor smiled a little at that. “But Percy Six Echo has been contaminated, and I tell you, sir, it really worries me because he’s a very good friend of mine, sir, and he’s one of my best friends. He’s my only best friend.”</p><p>“He’ll be fine, Three Echo.” His supervisor interrupted the man.</p><p>“Sir, I have one question, where do all the tubes go?” The supervisor just stared.</p><p> </p><p>“The human organism, unique in all the universe in its complexity.” Zeus’ voice spoke over the PA system, as more than a dozen men and women entered the large round room. These people, unlike the residents of the facility, wore dresses and suits, dressed expensively. “The product of three million years of evolution, perfect in every way, except one.Like all machines, it wears out.” Black and white photos of men, women, even some children showing some physical scarring or another were displayed in the back of the room. “For centuries, the idea of replenishing the human body has been at the forefront of modern science.”  As the group continued their tour, near by Dr Zeus and his assistant were speaking in hushed tones.</p><p>“I think we need to turn this bad day into a good day.” His assistant said with a slight stutter. “A great day, a terrific day.”</p><p>	“How?” Was all Zeus answered.</p><p>“By selling. By selling - sell, sell, sell. You start, I finish.”</p><p> </p><p>Outside, two helicopters were inbound, both choppers carrying a team of elite soldiers.</p><p> </p><p>“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the next generation of science - the agnate.” Zeus gestured to a circular window displaying a strange blob with a pulsating, glowing heart. “An organic frame, engineered directly into adulthood. To match the client’s age. You’re looking at stage one in its development.” Behind the crowd, the soldiers carrying their gear entered the room, and were directed by a show woman to Zeus’ personal office. “Within 12 months it will be harvest ready, providing a carrier for your baby, a second pair of lungs, fresh skin. All genetically indistinguishable from your own. And, in compliance with the eugenics laws of 2015, all our agnates are maintained in a persistent vegetative state. They never achieve consciousness.” Still inside the room, the african american man watched Dr Zeus as he walked, listening to the speech. “They never think or suffer or feel pain, joy, love, hate. It’s a product, ladies and gentlemen. In every way that matters. Not human.” Walking away from the blob being showcased, he introduced another man. “This is our public relations director, Mr Ganymede. He’ll be happy to answer any questions you have. Once again, thank you.” Zeus repeated with a smile, before turning and walking off. </p><p>“I want to talk about the smartest investment you’ll ever make. And I want to tell you how you’re going to live 60 to 70 years longer.” He said with a charming grin.</p><p> </p><p>In another room, Dr. Zeus made his way towards the head of the strike team he had called for, an african american man wearing a dark suit. ”Dr. Zeus.” The man said, shaking the Dr’s hand. “Albert Laurent, Blackhawk Security.”</p><p>“You come highly recommended by the Defense Department, Mr. Laurent, although I’m unaware of your personal qualifications.” Zeus replied.</p><p>“My men are ex-Delta Force, SEALs. I was formerly with the GIGN. French Special Forces. I understand you had a corporate theft.”</p><p>“Yes, that’s what I told the Defense Department. Zeus admitted. “The reality is a little more complex; that’s why I require your services. We’ve had a… security breach.” Zeus forced the words out, his face tensing in anger. </p><p>“You have the Defense Department at your disposal. Why call me?”</p><p>“Because their investment here is sizable - $120 billion, to be exact - and I can’t afford for them to reconsider.”</p><p>“What you tell them is your business, Doctor. I am in the business of keeping my clients’ confidence.”</p><p>Zeus smiled, “Good.” Before walking several steps away. Turning around, he continued. “Two of our products have escaped.”</p><p>“Impressive. Considering they’re vegetative.”</p><p>“Well, after several years of trial and error, we discovered that without consciousness, without human experience, emotion, without life… the organs failed.” For a moment, neither men spoke.</p><p>“How long have they been missing?” Mr Laurent finally spoke.</p><p>“Four hours and 36 minutes.” Zeus replied, checking his watch.</p><p>“They're on foot?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Wade?” The man called out. The man he was speaking to rose from his seat on the bench. “1.2 miles an hour five mile perimeter. Standby for suspect description.”</p><p>“We’re on it.” Wade replied.</p><p>“Follow me. He told Laurent.</p><p> </p><p>As that meeting was taking place, Percy and Annabeth had just reached an isolated building, though the building was nothing but a ruined shell. Several rusted up mail boxes sat by the side of the road. While Percy began jogging down the road, Annabeth beelined it for the ruins and nearly collapsed. Concerned, Percy followed her. “Come on, we gotta keep going.” He told her.</p><p>“No, I have to stop. I can’t run anymore.” She shook her head. Both were covered in sweat and dirt, panting from the hard running they had been doing for several hours.<br/>
“You got to try. Come on.”</p><p>“Where?” Annabeth asked, losing hope.</p><p>“Anywhere but here.”</p><p>“But there’s nothing.” Annabeth cried out. “Everything’s dead, Percy!” The black haired man sighed, and picked up a glass bottle lying on the ground. For a moment, neither said a word. “What if we are contaminated?”</p><p>“Then we’d be dead.” Percy answered with confidence in his voice. “There’s no contamination - it was a lie.” He said, before chucking the bottle at another part of the ruins, shattering the glass on impact. A hissing sound whistled from that part of the ruins, prompting both of them to check it out. Near where the bottle had landed, a rattlesnake had woken from it’s sleep, the famous tail rattling like crazy. They both leaned in to check it out, having no clue of the danger the snake possessed.</p><p>“What is it?” Annabeth asked, tilting her head a little.</p><p>“I don’t know, but it’s alive.” He replied. The snake reared back, before snapping at Percy’s face as a warning. Both of them recoiled at the sudden movement, eyes going wide. “Come on. It’s mean, whatever it is.” They both backed away, and returned to the covered portion of the ruins. “Let’s rest in here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Annabeth Two Delta’s sponsor, Annabeth Chase, is in a coma after a car accident.” Zeus spoke to Laurent. The two men sat in a meeting room, at a long table. Zeus at the head, Laurent in one of the side chairs. “She’s in need of multiple organ transplants.”</p><p>“How long does she have?” Laurent asked.</p><p>“48 hours; three days, maximum.” Dr. Zeus said, flipping through a file on the table.</p><p>“Tell me about Six Echo.”</p><p>Zeus took his reading glasses off, still holding them in his hand, and looked up at the man. “Well, he was really the first one to question his environment, his… his whole existence here.” Laurent looked away, remaining silent. “Over the last few months, he began demonstrating unstable behavior, and I can’t account for it.” He inhaled, before continuing. “I’m waiting on the result of his synaptic scan.”</p><p>“What do they know about the outside world?”</p><p>“Very Little.” Zeus replied, rising from his seat. “We control them with the memory of a shared event - a global contamination. It keeps them fearful of going outside. The Island is the one thing that gives them hope…” Zeus looked out the massive window that made up the back wall, overlooking the Facility in the background, before turning back to Laurent. “Gives them purpose.” Zeus looked back at the massive holographic wall, crossing his arms. “Everything we expose them to - their programs, their cartoons, books, the games they play - are designed to manage aggression and reinforce simple social skills. To avoid obvious complications, they aren’t imprinted with an awareness of sex.” </p><p> </p><p>Several miles away, sitting against the wall of the ruined building, the two had fallen asleep, Annabeth slept with her head against Percy’s shoulder. The sky had gone dark, save for the stars in the night sky above.</p><p> </p><p>“We find it simpler to eliminate the drive altogether. In a very real sense… they’re like children - educated to the level of a 15-year-old.”</p><p> </p><p>The sun had begun to rise over the mountains, once again illuminating the harshness of the plains, waking the two runaways up. Outside of their shelter, the rumbling of a vehicle approaching had them shooting up from their positions. Percy, leaping down from the space, ran towards the road, as a lone motorcycle roared past. “What was that?!” Annabeth shouted to Percy, who stood on the center of the road, having chased the vehicle for several seconds before giving up.</p><p>“I don’t know!” He shouted back. He turned back to the retreating figure of the motorcycle. “But I want one.” The last part he said to himself with a smile. Walking back, he caught sight of a sign He hadn’t noticed before. ‘West’ ‘Route US 39’ An arrow pointing down the road was just below. Continuing on, he glanced back at the sign, remembering the box he still had. Pulling it out from his waistband, he checked the front of the box to the sign. It was a match. Running back to Annabeth, he shouted, “Look! Route 39... “ He said pointing to the box, “Route 39.” He turned to point at the sign. He turned back, wearing a smile. “Come on.”At Annabeth’s inquisitive expression at the box, he explained. “I got it from a friend.” The two began jogging down the road, in the same direction the vehicle had gone, this time with more energy than when they had arrived at the ruins.</p><p> </p><p>Already on the move, the same two helicopters that had flown Laurent and his men to the base, were now flying across the plains, searching for their quarry. Laurent, raising his binoculars, signaled for the two to separate and continue their search.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you are reading this, it means you have decided to give my story a read, so thank you for that. Please, tell me what you think of my writing, as I am basically translating a movie into words, trying to describe the situation to you as it happens, so any feed back about either using new words, or alerting me to spelling mistakes I did not catch, etc. would be appreciated. </p><p>Those who would be smart asses and tell me to look for red lines, Annabeth comes up as red, so I may miss a word or two.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter Three - On The Run</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The year is 2019, just several years after The Contamination. The last survivors now live in a futuristic sterile colony, waiting for their chance to go to The Island. At random, a game called the lottery is played, using the names and faces of all the thousands of inhabitants of The Facility, save for the staff and the Director himself, before landing on the one lucky winner who gets to go to the Island.</p><p>Is The Island really the last uncontaminated place on Earth? Percy Six Echo is beginning to question things he doesn't understand, like how do they keep finding survivors, if everyone outside of the facility is dead? All the mean while, something keeps telling Percy Six Echo, something bad is about to happen.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello,<br/>I have been writing as much as I could today, as I know the feeling some of us get when writers do not follow up on their promise, and a story we may enjoy goes unfinished. As of me writing this message now, I have already started writing the fourth chapter, but am uncertain as to whether or not I will be able to get it out tomorrow or not. I am not telling you this because I think you enjoy my story, but because I do not want to abandon this work and possibly leave people hanging. I have always hated when that happened to me, so I do not want to have the same happen here. I'm just glad I got three chapters written in the length of two days. (Chapter One was written a day before my invite was sent.)<br/>Thank you.</p><p>Now for the usual. This is a disclaimer; Neither the plot nor the characters are my own, those belong to Micheal Bay, Caspian Tredwell-Owen(Story writer) and Rick Riordan respectively. I am simply retelling the same story using different characters.</p><p>Now onto the show!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h3>Chapter Three</h3><h4>On The Run</h4><p>Having arrived at a nasty looking building, a sign saying MOTEL lining the top, Percy and Annabeth paused for a moment, hearing music in the distance. Thunder rumbled above, as a storm moved in. On the other side of the motel, sat a bar, the music coming from the open door. A row of different vehicles, several of the same bike from before sat next to a beat up truck and a couple of rusted cars and even a towing truck. People wearing clothes the two had never seen before were milling about outside, several walking in through the open door. “I think that’s it.” Percy told her, glancing down at the box in his hands and back at Annabeth. Indeed the same name Aces &amp; Spades sat on top of the entrance in big letters.</p><p>The two rushed down the gentle sloping hillside and walked through the door. Almost immediately, their senses were assaulted by the foul smell of beer, a number of the patrons, gruff looking men wearing leather jackets and sporting tattoos watched them as they walked by. The music had seemingly raised in volume the moment they entered, much louder than it had been outside. The song itself was belting out lyrics, most of which made no sense to either Percy or Annabeth as they approached the bar.</p><p>The room they were in was poorly lit, only several different colored lights actually giving off enough light for the patrons to see where they were going. “What’s up?” The man behind the bar asked, after staring at the two for a moment, and set the bottle he was holding in his hands down.</p><p>“Yeah, uh, do you know a guy named Charles?” The bartender glanced at one of the patrons sitting at the bar.</p><p>“Yeah, we know that tool. Who’s askin’?” </p><p>“I am.” Percy said, as though it should have been obvious.</p><p>“And you would be who?”</p><p>Percy, realizing what he meant, said his name. “Percy Six Echo.”</p><p>Annabeth did the same. “Annabeth Two Delta.” The bartender, hearing their names, held back a laugh.</p><p>“Right.” He said slowly. </p><p>“Y’all some of those desert UFO freaks?” The other man at the bar asked.</p><p>“U… What? No.” Percy answered, frowning in confusion. “I don’t think so, no.”</p><p>“Mm-mm, no.” Annabeth told the man as well. Percy turned back to the bartender. </p><p>“Charles?”</p><p>“Well, lucky day, Captain Kirk. He’s in the can.” The bartender gestured with his head towards a door on the other side of the room with a barely contained laugh.</p><p>Percy frowned. “He’s in a can?” His tone was incredulous, thinking of how Charles could have ended up in such a situation in disbelief. </p><p>“Taking a dump.” The Bartender stated, as though that much should have been obvious.</p><p>“A dump? Taking it where?” The patron started laughing.</p><p>The bartender sighed. “I’ll tell you what, bubba, you’re fixin’ to get on my nerves. It’s the first door on the right.” He pointed in the same direction. Percy thanked him, and walked off to find Charles, while Annabeth remained at the bar.</p><p>“I have to go. He’s taking a dump in a can.” Percy said, to her.</p><p>“Something to drink?” The bartender asked her. “Jack?”</p><p>“Yes, please.” He slid the glass towards her. </p><p>“Straight up?” Annabeth, not realizing what he meant, looked up at the ceiling, causing the two men to shake their heads at her.</p><p> </p><p>Percy, having entered the bathroom, started walking down the row of stalls, before stopping at the last one. A pair of boots could be seen from under the door. Peeking over the edge to confirm who it was, Percy shoved the door open, and was met with Charles sitting on the toilet reading a magazine. Being startled by the sudden noise and Percy’s entrance, Charles dropped the magazine to the floor. “So this is Sector Five?!” He nearly shouted at the man.</p><p>“Hey!” Charles yelled back, grabbing and pulling up his underwear. </p><p>Percy, in a moment of anger, grabbed the front of Charles’ shirt and pulled him from his seat, tugging the half dressed man out of the stall. “You son of a bitch!” Slamming the man against the wall where a row of urinals were, Percy got up into his face. The urinal he had slammed him into, flushed as the lever was pushed from the impact. “You knew!”</p><p>“How the hell did you get out?” Was all the man could say, before Percy started shaking him.</p><p>“Why? Why did they lie to us? Tell me!”</p><p>“They’re going to be looking for you.” Charles realized, eyes widening.</p><p>“<strong>Tell me what’s going on!</strong>” </p><p>“What’s going on is if anybody sees us together, both of us are going to be dead.” Charles tried explaining to Percy. “So will you just take your hands off of me! Let me…” Another man wandered into the room, before catching sight of the two in a nearby mirror. Percy shoving Charles up against the urinal wall, with Charles’ pants around his knees. “Let me pull my pants up, and I’ll take you back to my place so we can be alone, okay?” The man, not walking any further, just stared, before looking away. “Ed.” Charles greeted.</p><p>“Charles.” He paused for a moment, looking very uncomfortable. “Give you… Give you boys a minute?” He asked. </p><p>“What?!” Charles, realizing what it looked like, glanced back at Percy, and gestured to him. “This isn’t what it looks like.” Ed, looking further away, just shook his head.</p><p>“S… Sure. Sure.” Ed then turned and walked out, with Charles shouting at him to get out.</p><p>“Will you stop?!” Charles shoved Percy’s hands out of the way and walked away from the wall, pulling his pants up. “You know, you can’t just bust in on a guy like that. That’s really rude.” He then walked towards the bathroom door, muttering under his breath. </p><p>Seeing Annabeth still over at the bar, the patron from before leaning in and leering at her as they laughed, turned to Percy. “You knucklehead. You brought another one with you?” He asked in disbelief. Charles shoved his way between the two. “Listen… No. Back off, Joe, okay?” He asked the guy as the bar patron backed up, putting his hands in the air. “Don’t push me.” Noticing Annabeth was reaching for some of the alcohol on the counter, he grabbed the glass and set it back down. “ Oh, no. No, no, no. That’s no good.” He told the bartender to put it on his tab, and told Annabeth they had to leave.</p><p>Annabeth, wanting the glass reached for it again, disgruntled at what he had done, only to have Charles take the glass again before she could drink from it.</p><p>“Friends of mine. They’re from out of tow…hey!” Charles grabbed Annabeth’s arm and began pulling her away. “Come on sweetheart. Let’s go.” </p><p>“Give me your number.” The man asked as they were leaving.</p><p>“Two Delta.” She responded, before being pulled away. </p><p>Charles pointed his finger at Joe, glaring harshly. “Hey, look, don’t test me. Don’t.” Minutes later the three of them were sitting in Charles’ old beat up truck, driving away from the bar. </p><p> </p><p>What had to have been half an hour later, Charles pulled up into the driveway of his house, and brought the two inside. Charles had them sit on the couch, while he landed heavily in the chair facing them. All around the living room, small knick knacks littered the table and counter tops, filling up space and making the room look smaller. “Well, this is nice.” A woman said, entering the room, bringing a pitcher and several glasses. “Charlie doesn’t talk much about his work at the institute. Do y’all work with him?” She asked, setting the pitcher on the table and giving Percy and Annabeth each a glass of lemonade. Behind her, Charles nodded his head at the two in an exaggerated manner. Seeing this the pair nodded when the woman looked up at them. They both hummed in unison. “Saving lives and all must be real rewarding.” The woman glanced down at their clothes. “Fancy tracksuits. Y’all exercise out in this heat, you’re gonna get yourselves some nasty heatstroke.” Charles sighed, watching his wife talk to the two. It was then she noticed the bracelet identification units they wore, not knowing what they actually were. “Oh, Charlie.” She gasped. “Look they got matching bracelets.” She held their arms up admiring the hardware on their wrists. “Oh, we should do that.”</p><p>Charles, knowing time wasn’t on their side, interrupted her. “Si, Sil, Silena.” He stuttered out. “Do you remember the talk we had about my work?” She nodded, eyes going wide. “Actually, would you please run down to Red’s and pick us up a sixer of Bud?” He asked trying to get her out of the house, knowing they were in danger. “We’ve got to talk shop.” He told her.</p><p>“Okay, baby.” She said. “Just making friends.” Charles smiled. “And I love you for it.” He replied.</p><p>“Bye.” She said, smiling at Percy and Annabeth as she left.</p><p>The moment the door shut, Charles sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Why do they lie, Charles?” Percy spoke first, putting his arms on his knees as he leaned closer. “Why do they lie to us? Tell me.” Charles unscrewed the cap to his flask, and poured some into an empty cup Silena had placed on the table for him. Outside, his truck’s engine roared to life. A moment later, he finally spoke.<br/>
“To keep you from knowing what you are.”</p><p>“What we are?” Percy repeated, both he and Annabeth frowning in confusion.</p><p>“What are we?” Annabeth rephrased, breaking the silence that had been forming again.</p><p>“Oh, man, why do I got to be the guy tells the kids there’s no Santa Claus?” He muttered to himself. The two across from him just stared at him, Annabeth looking at Percy with a deeper frown. “Okay, look, you’re, uh... “ He paused, trying to find the correct words. “Uh…” He sighed.  “Well, you… you’re not like me.” The two continued staring. “Um… I mean you’re not, uh… human.” Silence. “I-I mean you’re human, but you’re just... “ He quickly added. “You’re not real. Uh, you’re not like a real person, like me.” At that he gestured to himself. Both Percy and Annabeth exchanged looks, still confused. Charles sighed. “You’re clones.” They still did not say a word.”You’re copies of people out here in the world.” That broke their silence.</p><p>“What?!”</p><p>“Clones?”</p><p>“What?!”</p><p>“Copies of… What are you talking about?”</p><p>“Why?!” They spoke over one another, trying to make sense of the situation.</p><p>“Some hag trophy wife needs new skin for a facelift, or one ‘em gets sick, and they need a new part, they… they take it from you.” He told them. They both recoiled at the thought. </p><p>“But I have a mother, I remember her.” Annabeth defended. The look of horror stil adorning her face. </p><p>“Yeah, I know.” Charles replied, his tone resigned. </p><p>“I grew up on a farm. I-I have a little dog, and-and I had a bike.” She continued.</p><p>Charles started speaking over her. “And a bike, right. It was a pink Flexi-Flyer with little tassels on the handlebars. And you rode it up the street to your grandmother’s house, and you ring the little bell and she came out and served you cookies on a hot platter.” As he spoke, a warm smile spread across her lips as she remembered. </p><p>“Yeah.” She said wistfully.</p><p>“No.” He pointed to his head. “Memory imprints.. I seen ‘em. A buddy of mine is a programmer at the institute. He showed me. There’s only, like, 12 stories. They change around little details, but they’re all pretty much the same.” By that point the smile on Annabeth’s face had faded. “The life you think you had before “The Contamination”?” He hooked his fingers to make quotes. “It never happened.” Looks of shock quickly appeared on the two’s faces, followed by looks of sadness. “Come on. Don’t look at me like that. At least you had a bike. You want to trade your rosy memory implants for my shitty childhood, be my guest.” He told them, before looking away.</p><p>“How long?” Was all Percy asked. “How long have we been alive?”</p><p>You’re Echo Generation, so you’re three.” He told Percy, before turning to Annabeth. “Delta means you’re four.” They looked at each other, at a loss for words. </p><p>“Three… ?”</p><p>“The whole reason you exist ‘cause everyone wants to live forever. It’s the new American dream. And there’s people out there that are rich enough to pay anything for it.”</p><p>Annabeth spoke up. “Don’t people care that they kill us? That they take parts from us?”</p><p>“They don’t know.” Charles smiled grimly “They-They think you’re vegetables simmering in a jelly sack. Why do you think Zeus has you stuck in an old military bunker below ground?” He doesn’t want anybody knowing the truth, especially not your sponsors.”</p><p>“Sponsors?!” Percy asked, eyes narrowing.</p><p>“The people that had you made. They, like… own you.” The three went silent for a moment.</p><p>“But why doesn’t Zeus want our owners to know that we’re alive?” Annabeth couldn’t help asking.</p><p>“Well, just because people want to eat the burger doesn’t mean they want to meet the cow.” Percy looked away, the look of shock not fading. “Besides, it…” Charles stood up, unable to sit any longer. “Do you know how many laws Zeus is breaking to have you two hatched?” He walked towards the only window with its curtain open, and shut it. “Your sponsors can’t have any part of that. They’re-They’re like high society rich and famous. If they knew the truth, Zeus would be out of business.”</p><p>Percy, hearing that, spoke up, much more confident than he had been before. “Then we have to find our sponsors and tell them the truth, the real truth.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“No. No, no. No, no, no. That’s-That’s the worst idea I ever heard.” He waved his hands to express his negativity about the plan. “You know how dead I would be, not to mention fired?”</p><p>Annabeth spoke up, agreeing with Percy’s plan. “We will. We will. That’s our only chance.”</p><p>“Stop! Stop! Fold, stop.” Charles shouted. “Brakes. No. Come on! You’re like the replacement engines on their Bentley. They’re not gonna care. They’re gonna care? What… ? They’re gonna care?” They stared at him, sadness written across their faces, a wish to live in their eyes. “You know what I would do if I were you? I would just… get as far away from here as I could.” He added as an afterthought, “Go to the beach.”</p><p>Percy stared at him and shook his head. “We’re not asking for your permission, Charles. We’re asking for your help.” The man sighed, resigned to the fact he knew he would end up helping the two. </p><p>“Oh, God… !”</p><p> </p><p>“Getting closer, the two choppers raced across the plains, as a convoy of Humvees drove on a nearby road in the same direction. “Infrared’s having a hard time picking up a heat signature on our fugitives - sand’s too hot.”</p><p>Laurent, flipping through a folder in his hands stopped on a page showing Percy’s file, and remembered the scan he had done only a day ago. “He was implanted with micro-sensors yesterday. Can we configure our instrument to pick up a low-frequency RF scan?” He asked the man.</p><p>“If we can get within half a mile of the signal source.” Was his reply.</p><p>“Do it.”</p><p> </p><p>Charles, using a much older computer compared to the ones at the Facility, spoke to the two. “Your sponsors’ names are Perseus Jackson and Annabeth Chase. Her sponsor lives in New York.” Pushing away from the desk, he walked to a counter on the other side of the room and pulled out a binder and opened it to a page showing the continent broken into fragments. “The number in your name is a regional code. Six Echo - that means your sponsor lives in… L.A.” Cities on the map were marked by their name, as well as a following three digit number. Indeed Las Angeles had the number 006 right next to it. “You’re going out of state.”</p><p>“Out of state.” Percy repeated, looking at the man.</p><p>“Yeah.” Tossing an armful of clothes into Percy’s arms, he continued. “Put this on. Yeah... “ Annabeth, just standing there with her arms crossed watching, was suddenly pulled into another room by Charles. “No,no, no. You’re gonna go in here. All right, come on, come on.” Inside the room sat a two person bed, even more clutter scattered about. The closet was open, showcasing clothes hanging inside. Pulling some off, he began searching for anything that would fit her, occasionally throwing a piece of loathing to her. “All right… These are bags, okay? You put stuff in ‘em. Backpacks are for boys, purses for girls.” She glared at him, storm grey eyes like knives. “Understand?”</p><p>“We’re not idiots.” She ground out.</p><p>“Well, excuse me, “Miss I’m So Smart I Can’t Wait to Go to The Island.”” He shot back, throwing the bags to the ground, and went back to looking through the clothing. Picking up a bra, he quickly eyeballed the size, nodded to himself, and tossed the garment onto the bed. Annabeth brought her hands up self consciously. “Yeah, good.” Reaching into the closet while he was still focused on the clothing, she pulled out a black ad white, knee high dress in one hand, and what looked like a school girl’s outfit in the other. Inspecting them, Charles noticed what she had done. “Wait, hold, hold, hold, hold. Pe-People don’t really wear these on the outside.” He told her, taking them back. “These are mail-order, okay? They-They stay here.” Seconds later, she pulled out another dress, this one white bearing a red cross in multiple areas. He sighed in exasperation. “No. Mail-order, okay? Clones don’t wear these.”</p><p> </p><p>Ten minutes later, they were on the road, heading for the nearest Amtrak station out of town. “All right, listen up; This card… “ Charles pulled a piece of clear plastic from his wallet while driving. “Is like stim credits, okay? It’ll get you food. But I got to report it stolen in 24 hours, or else they’ll know I helped you.” At this he tugged free a roll of green paper notes. “After that, use the cash.” He gave both to Annabeth who was sitting in the center, who was inspecting the credit card closely. Sighing, he continued. “All right, look, I-I know you’re new to this whole human experience and all, but there’s one universal truth, and that is you never give a woman your credit card.” He reached over, plucking the plastic from Annabeth’s hands, before passing it to Percy. Percy, being told all of this for the first time, looked at him, and nodded. Right.” Annabeth, equally new, nodded. Grabbing the cash as well, he slipped both into his inside chest jacket pocket.</p><p> </p><p>Half a mile away, Laurent’s tech got a ping. “I got something. It’s hot, it’’s hot!”</p><p> </p><p>At the same time, the trio had already made it to the station, and Percy was in the bathroom. His face screwed up as he stood before a urinal. The plinking of the bots sounded as the low energy bots were evacuated, landing in the stall’s basin. Relieved, Percy zipped his pants up, and flushed the urinal, glad that's over with.</p><p>Within minutes they were walking towards the actual station itself. “Train’ll be here in a few minutes. Hustle up.” They jogged towards the open door, The PA over head was in mid alert when they entered the large room. Dozens of people waiting for their train, or moving to buy something from the small cafe milled about. The ceiling of the room was vaulted high above, with tall windows extending above the second floor that could be reached by a nearby star case that went above the cafe.</p><p>“...Bakersfield to Sacramento, now boarding at platform A.”</p><p>“All right,” Charles turned to the other two “stay, all right? Just stay. Don’t move.” He hurried away to buy two tickets for the train, leaving Percy and Annabeth standing by the entrance. Two girls, holding hands with each other and the women - their mother - walked past, catching Percy and Annabeth’s attention.</p><p>Percy gasped. “Look at that.” He whispered to Annabeth.</p><p>“Those are kids.” She realized.</p><p>“Wow.” They turned towards each other and smiled. </p><p> </p><p>Outside, a massive futuristic looking train hovering above slanted panels the size of air conditioning units pulled to a stop. The panels beneath the train as it buzzed with energy.</p><p> </p><p>“Come here.” Charles pulled the two around to face him, and showed them the tickets he had in his hand. “The train is non-stop to L.A. You need these to get on. Now when you get there, look up your sponsors in the information directory. You got it?”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah.” Percy replied. “Uh, what is an information directory?”</p><p>“It’ll tell you where they live, and whatever you do, do not trust anyone. If there’s one thing I can tell you about people, it’s that they’ll do anything to survive.” They both thanked him, nodding in appreciation. Percy raised his hand, shaking Charles’ hand. Charles smiled back, Percy’s grin infectious.</p><p>“Thanks a lot.” Annabeth said.</p><p>“All right. I’m just gonna go upstairs and get you guys a map of L.A., all right?” He told them, pointing to the second level behind him. “Better not get me in trouble.” </p><p>Behind the two, a woman walked into the station, subtly glancing around as she walked, before catching sight of them. Another man, wearing a cowboy hat did the same on the other side of the room. A third man, carrying a silver briefcase with an odd shaped black handle started up the same stairs Charles had gone, eyes sweeping over the room. The woman checking a slip of paper in her hand, spoke to the earpiece she had. “I think I got an I.D. Two in the center.” Charles, having gotten the map of L.A. started back towards the two clones, when he glanced at the man holding the briefcase as he passed, only to pause in shock at what he saw. In the man’s ear, he saw a similar grey earpiece, and realized what was about to happen. Throwing caution to the wind, he leaned over the railing and yelled at the two.</p><p>“Run!” </p><p>Mere moments after he had done so, the man carrying the briefcase clicked a button, and the case dropped, now without a handle. In his hand, the handle was revealed to be a black pistol, which the man raised and fired at Charles who had turned back to look at the man. The force of the impact sent him backwards over the railing, falling onto a glass showcase from the cafe below, as people began to scream and run in different directions. </p><p>Shocked at what they just saw, neither of them moved from where they stood for several moments, before Charles’ last word processed in their minds. Bolting through the crowd, they made for a side door. They burst into a hallway lined with stacked chairs and boxes, storage for some unknown reason. Behind them, the elite soldiers were already on the move. Bursting into a much larger room than before, a warehouse for the train cars they realized as they ran,they ducked under low hanging wires, running through a shower of sparks as they headed for the other end. Swinging around to the left, they left the warehouse and continued running, before entering a storage shed. There on the other side of the shelves, they found a smaller room, and bolted inside. Closing the door behind them.</p><p>Annabeth, picking up a red nail gun, inspected the device as Percy picked up a crowbar on the ground. A soldier outside, having heard the clang of the crowbar when it had fallen to the ground, walked into the same building. As Percy was kneeling down, Annabeth experimentally pulled the trigger on the device, sending a three inch nail shooting into the wooden panel by Percy’s head. Percy, tugging the metal spike free, looked at it with wide eyes, while Annabeth held the tool a little more carefully, then narrowed her eyes at the device.</p><p>From outside the smaller storage area, the soldier made his way around the shelves, and spotted the door, holding his firearm at the ready. Annabeth repositioned, leaning against the back wall, only to knock against something, making a loud noise. Percy Shushed her, and readied his weapon. The sound of their breathing was the only thing they heard. Upon hearing the footsteps of the man outside, they moved against the wall with the door, Annabeth to the left of the door on their side, while Percy leaned against the right.</p><p>The man reached forward, and jiggled the doorknob, right as Percy locked the door from the inside. After several moments of trying, everything was silent again, save for Annabeth’s breathing. Through a hole in the door, the man reached for the door knob, causing Percy to stand in a hurry. Annabeth, seeing her opportunity, raised her new weapon to the back of the man’s weapon, and squeezed the trigger  twice. The man started screaming as the nails pierced his hand, poking through the wood on the other side. Annabeth fired twice more for good measure, before the pair opened the door. Percy went first, swinging the crowbar at the soldier’s head several times to buy time, before following Annabeth out.</p><p>“Run!” She screamed to him, and they bolted for the loading dock, leaving the man with his hand nailed to the other side of the door. Racing up the steps, they boarded the train, and hurried to the nearest empty seats. It was only then that Annabeth started breaking down. “What’s wrong with these people? They killed him. They killed him. What’s… “ Percy leaned towards her, shushing her and resting a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. Checking out the window, then behind them to make sure no one was following, he sighed and leaned back in his seat. Annabeth following suit.</p><p> </p><p>As the train sped away, several of Laurent’s men were searching through Charles’ truck, throwing useless junk to the ground as they grumbled about the mission being harder than they thought. “All right, we got a missing credit card.” A third man called out on the other side of the vehicle. “Charles just used it to buy train tickets, and it’s not in his wallet.”</p><p>Laurent, looking down at a pair of tickets in his hand turned to the same tech guy from the helicopter. “Monitor the account, patch me through to the train conductor.” To another man, he continued. “Get me a new team in L.A.”</p><p> </p><p>Back in Zeus’ personnel meeting room, Ganymede burst through the doors. “Got here as fast as I could. I just finished scanning the Defense Department Troop Selections, if you want to see them…” Zeus sighed, weary from everything that had happened the past several days.</p><p>“Not yet. Look at that.” He told his assistant, pulling a printed photo of the drawing Percy had made off of the table, and showing Ganymede. Taking the picture, Ganyemede inspected it for a moment, before glancing back up at Dr. Zeus. “Six Echo drew it.”</p><p>“Well, it’s elaborate.” He noticed. “Renovch...io. Renovatio?” He repeated the same word, this time with a faint accent. “What is that, Italian?”</p><p>“It’s Latin.” Ganymede looked up in shock.</p><p>“We’ve never imprinted an agnate with Latin word stock.”</p><p>“Yes, I’m well aware of that.” He stated, his arms crossed. “So where did he learn it?” Ganymede opened his mouth, then sighed. “Where are the results from his synaptic scan?”</p><p>“They’ll be back from the Johns Hopkins Neuro…”</p><p>“Just speed it up.” Zeus interrupted him, snatching the paper back.</p><p>“Yes, sir.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>For any of you who have seen the movie and are reading this story anyway, you might notice I changed the conversation between Charles and Silena, as I felt the original conversion would have not fit them at all. I also really did not like what the original implied, so I felt the conversation had to be tweaked, especially between those two as we all remember their sacrifices in the books. Them using the original conversation would have been an insult. I apologize if anyone did not appreciate it.</p><p>This is one of the only changes I am willing to make to the story, because it felt wrong. As it stands for Percy and Annabeth, they grew up in a controlled space, and thus did not become the characters we remember them being. This is my explanation for why I am not changing the rest of the original story line. The only other change was instead of using last names like the ovie did, I used Percy and Annabeth's first names, as it made telling their story easier.<br/>Thanks to anyone who understands.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter Four - The Chase</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The year is 2019, just several years after The Contamination. The last survivors now live in a futuristic sterile colony, waiting for their chance to go to The Island. At random, a game called the lottery is played, using the names and faces of all the thousands of inhabitants of The Facility, save for the staff and the Director himself, before landing on the one lucky winner who gets to go to the Island.</p><p>Is The Island really the last uncontaminated place on Earth? Percy Six Echo is beginning to question things he doesn't understand, like how do they keep finding survivors, if everyone outside of the facility is dead? All the mean while, something keeps telling Percy Six Echo, something bad is about to happen.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello,<br/>I am very happy to have gotten this out for you all today, though I have a feeling that my classes tomorrow may make getting Chapter Five out take longer than I want. I am writing as fast as I can, and trying to fix any typos I find, but even then, this story may get delayed a day or two.<br/>Thank you.</p><p>Now for the usual. This is a disclaimer; Neither the plot nor the characters are my own, those belong to Micheal Bay, Caspian Tredwell-Owen(Story writer) and Rick Riordan respectively. I am simply retelling the same story using different characters.</p><p>Now onto the show!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h3>Chapter Four</h3><h4>The Chase</h4><p>Having just arrived at L.A., the two ran across the tracks, having noticed the agents walking into the station to wait for them. High above, hanging trains roared past at different heights, traveling between skyscrapers. It was not until they were several blocks away from the station, and deeper in the city that they slowed to a walking pace, looking for the information directory Charles had told them about. They paused for a moment, before continuing on. The sounds of both the trains above and traffic on the street a chaotic roar in their ears. Walking down a street in direct sunlight, a little further away from the giant towers, they continued their search. Walking around another corner, they passed a large mural like, black and white image… </p><p>With Annabeth’s face on it. Annabeth turned and stared, captivated by the sight. She walked forward, as if in a trance, just staring, before she noticeAnother man’s face was next to hers, and they were both smiling. Inside the showcase room, sat a TV, playing some sort of movie. Annabeth paused a moment, watching in fascination as she watched herself walk towards the image. The mural itself was behind a glass wall, within the small room sat a table with a TV playing some sort of movie. Annabeth’s face appeared amongst the crowd in the film, catching her attention. She watched as her copy smiled, and walked towards another man, him also smiling. Meeting in the center of the room, Annabeth watched herself kiss the man, and touched her lips.</p><p>Percy, having noticed she had stopped, walked up behind her, and saw the same thing, watching in wonder as they both saw something neither had ever known about before. Glancing down at Annabeth, who was only shorter than him by several inches, as she passed by him to continue walking, he glanced back at the TV, seeing the other Annabeth smile. He too followed after a moment.</p><p> </p><p>In a parking lot elsewhere in the city, a convoy of vehicles pulled up. Several black BMWs, an armored truck, and two semis all came to a stop, as Laurent’s new team began to organize. Supplies were moved out of the vehicles and placed in piles as one of the black helicopters flew in, landing on a low roof top nearby. In one of the cases they opened up, large sticking tags bearing the words POLICE and SWAT were revealed laying on top of the “proper” identification papers. Laurent, having been dropped off with one of his old squad, moved to take control.</p><p>“We just arrived.” One of the men told him, shaking his hand as he approached. “But Troy’s already tapped into the city cameras.” He nodded, and proceeded down the ladder the other man had climbed up. The helicopter, having done its job, took off and flew overhead into the sky above.</p><p> </p><p>Percy and Annabeth, still searching for the directory continued on. “Excuse me.” Percy asked a passing man, “W-Where’s an information directory?” The man pointed the direction they were headed, and Percy thanked him.</p><p> </p><p>At the same time Troy was watching the cameras, muttering to himself as he glanced through several different screens. “Wilshire.. Fifth, Grand… Spring… Grand Avenue?” He tapped several commands into his keyboard. “Come on. Smile for the camera sweetheart.”</p><p>Laurent, having moved a little ways from the convoy to let his men work, was fiddling with his phone between his fingers.</p><p>“Where is Flower?” Troy asked himself. “You want Flower…? Olive? Olive. On screen two red crosshair like markers moved to two people, a man and a woman on screen. The man asked for directions from a third figure in the image the moment it froze. The camera zoomed in, and scanned the faces for a match. “Oh, you look familiar.” Troy said when the image zoomed in. The computer returned the result with a 93% match. “Hello. Gotcha!” Troy turned in his chair and moved to notify Laurent. Laurent and his men began to move, climbing into the armored truck as they prepared to head out. Two men lifted the covering of one of the objects that had been inside the semi truck containers.</p><p>“Three Black Wasps and two jet bikes.” One of his new team told him.</p><p>“Hey!” Troy called out. “We just got a facial hit on our fugitives!” Laurent and his men began to move, climbing into the armored truck as they prepared to head out.</p><p>“We’re moving!” Laurent yelled to his convoy of vehicles. “Let’s go.”</p><p> </p><p>Further in the city, Percy and Annabeth finally spotted one of the illusive information directories they had been looking for, and rushed for it. Walking through the opening in the glass wall, Percy used the credit card to activate the machine.</p><p> </p><p>“Wait a minute! Got a hit on the Charles’ credit card.” One of Laurent’s men told him. “Location; Grand Avenue at 9830.” Laurent reacted immediately, raising his radio. </p><p>“Team, proceed immediately to 9830… “ He was interrupted by another man.</p><p>“No,no,no,no. LAPD’s moving in. They just flagged Charles’ credit card.”</p><p> </p><p>The screen showed the Earth in one corner, the entire area blanketed by a tint of blue. The words ‘msn. Search’ appearing towards the top. Percy went first, speaking to the machine. “Perseus Jackson.”</p><p>“One moment, please.” The machine spoke in a female voice. A white bar ran across the screen, followed by the same name appearing over it. “Not listed.” Annabeth went next.</p><p>“Annabeth Chase.”</p><p> </p><p>Already, police were moving towards their location, lights flashing and sirens wailing.</p><p> </p><p>On the screen was the words ROUTING…, before the screen was replaced with a video call. On the other end, a child no older than five answered the phone, his blonde hair obscuring his face. “Hello?”</p><p>“Yes, I’m looking for Annabeth Chase.”</p><p>“Um, she’s sick.” The child replied, before turning towards the screen. His eyes were storm grey, the same as Annabeth’s.</p><p>“Can I talk to her?” Annabeth asked, despite seeing the resemblance. Percy on the other hand, kept glancing between the two, his eyes wide. </p><p>“She’s at the hospital.” It was then the kid saw the resemblance as well. “Mommy, is that you?” He asked, stepping closer to the screen. Annabeth could only stare in shock as the family resemblance was confirmed.</p><p> </p><p>Several streets away, the armored truck rumbled down the road, before stopping at the curb. Laurent was the first out the back of the truck, leaping to the ground. Ordering his men to make a perimeter with asingel signal of his hand, they moved in.</p><p> </p><p>Percy, catching sight of Laurent, tapped Annabeth’s arm. “Annabeth. Let’s go.” They turned and ran, just as the police arrived, multiple cars halting right in front of them. Nearly a dozen police officers jumped out, each holding a side arm or shotgun.</p><p>“Freeze! Put your hands up!” Came the orders. Spooked by the sudden arrival, the two backed up a step. Officers moved towards them quickly, as they kept ordering the two to put their hands up.</p><p> </p><p>Laurent, seeing this happen, ordered his own forces to retreat.</p><p> </p><p>“Do as I say!” One of the officers commanded, before throwing Percy against the hood of the nearest cruiser. Annabeth quickly followed, and their arms were forced behind their backs. </p><p>“Percy!” Annabeth cried out.</p><p>“Just do as they say!” He told her, right before the two were thrown into the backseat of the same cruiser. The police vehicles all reversed, before driving off, just as quickly as they had come.</p><p> </p><p>“Nail it! Quick, move! Laurent ordered as he hurried back to the truck. One of his men, holding a long rifle, slid the barrel through a small hole in the vehicle’s door, aimed, and fired. A dart impacted the same cruiser moments later, transmitting a live feed of the vehicle’s position. </p><p> </p><p>“We’re detaining you in connection to the murder of Charles Beckendorf.” The officer sitting in the passenger chair told them. He was a dark skinned man, with years of experience behind his back.</p><p>“What?!” Percy sputtered out. “He was… He was helping us! He was my friend!”</p><p>“Know that anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.” Annabeth turned towards Percy.</p><p>“What’s a court of law?”</p><p> </p><p>Laurent’s armored truck, speeding through a tunnel, was gaining on the police cruiser. Laurent himself was on the phone, bracing himself against the side as the truck swerved around a corner. “They’ll run DNA. If the agnates are booked it’ll implicate your clients in a murder investigation.”</p><p>	Dr. Zeus, the other man on the line, spoke into the phone with frustration. “This is a nightmare. You cannot allow this to happen. Do you understand me? You use any force that is necessary. I’m ordering you to contain the situation.</p><p> </p><p>One-Adam-82. We’ve apprehended the suspects, two adults, no I.D. Notify Forensics - we’ll need DNA typing.” The officer spoke over his radio.</p><p>“My name is Percy Jackson. Could you... ?” Percy started, but was interrupted by the officer who was driving.</p><p>“Just sit back and shut up.”</p><p>“Could you look up my file, please?” He continued despite the interruption. The same officer told him to sit back again. “Please…” The other officer did so, and pulled up his information after a quick search. Percy’s sponsor’s name and residential address popped up, right in Percy’s view. ‘3460 SEASIDE WALK SAN PEDRO, CA 90781’ The cruiser stopped at a red light, and for a moment there was silence. </p><p>Dispatch, we’re two minutes out.” the dark skinned officer called in. No one in the car saw the massive armored truck approaching at a fast speed, aiming for the front of the car. The force of the impact, with where the vehicle hit, sheared the car in two, instantly killing the two officers. The back seat however, was saved from the crash, leaving the two prisoners inside relatively unharmed. The truck continued for a moment, before screeching to a halt. Already the officers of the other cars were getting out as people from the sidewalks nearby rushed to assist. </p><p>Annabeth shoved Percy’s arm desperately. “Get up, Percy! Get up!” </p><p>Outside, the two black BMWs drifted around the corner, before coming to a stop. A canister of smoke was thrown from one of the cars emitting orange gass.</p><p>Annabeth, pausing for a moment to use the open door to snap the zip tie around her wrists, shoved Percy’s shoulder one last time, waking him. “Let’s go!” She screamed above the chaos of screams outside. Watching through the now broken window in his side, Percy watched the rear doors of the truck swing open, people wearing bullet proof vests with POLICE tags on them and full face covering helmets poured out of the vehicle. The two quickly jumped from the car, and started running to the sidewalk as the other police cars arrived on scene.</p><p>Troy, ever so helpfully pointed out to Laurent and the other two, “Oh, we got cops. We got cops!” Laurent raised his rifle at the new arrivals, and opened fire. A full on fire fight broke out between Laurent’s men and the police officers, giving Percy and Annabeth enough time to run around the nearest corner. Windows were shattered as the hail of bullets his men put out suppressed the police, giving one of the soldiers time to go after the two.</p><p>“Run!” Percy screamed, pulling Annabeth back.The two bolted down the street, as Laurent told his forces to follow. Closing the rear doors of the truck, he climbed into one of the BMWs and drove off following the two runners.</p><p>Looking back every now and again, Percy and Annabeth sprinted down the street, rushing across a small construction site as a shortcut, one the armored truck had no qualms about as it smashed through a parked car and kept driving. Entering a parking garage, the BMWs kept pace, driving on the other side of a line of cars. Catching sight of a ramp leading down, the two bolted, aiming for the stairs even as one of the cars drove up and kept pace right behind them. </p><p>Just as they reached the ramp, the soldiers dismounted from the cars and followed suit. Towards the bottom, they burst through a heavy metal door, and Percy closed it behind them, using a metal pole that was leaning up against the wall nearby to prevent the others from following. Realizing they had duped them, the soldiers rushed back up[ the ramp and to their cars, peeling out of the garage after them. </p><p>They had already reached the corner by then however, and were greeted with the sight of a massive truck carrying rusted train wheels and metal plates on it’s flatbed trailer. Helping Annabeth climb on first while the truck had slowed to make the corner, Percy followed on. Both crawling under the rusted metal wheels.</p><p>Laurent’s chopper, having been called in, was in pursuit, flying high above the chase, following the convoy of vehicles as they chased after the massive truck.</p><p>“Air Two, give me status on the targets.” Laurent called over the radio. From the pilot’s view, he could see Annabeth’s hair as they crawled past an opening. “Targets are under the train wheels.”</p><p>“Silently take them out!” Laurent commanded. A BMW sped up, the driver leaning out the window as his partner held the wheel straight, holding an automatic rifle.</p><p>Percy, checking on their pursuers, saw the gun, and screamed, “Go!” The man fired, the round bouncing off the metal, causing Percy to flinch. “Move! Go! Go!” His voice could barely be heard above the wind and engines of the cars, but Annabeth still heard him.</p><p>I can’t fit!” She screamed back, trying to fit between the straps and the next load of wheels.</p><p>“Move back!” Percy shouted to her. Reaching for the metal release clasp, he tugged on it hard, releasing the load of heavy metal train wheels. At first not one moved, then one from the top, rolled off the side, hitting the road. And bouncing from the force.the wheels forced the convoy to swerve around them,barely missing. It was quickly followed by the rest of the next level, spewing into the road. </p><p>Then came the load beneath that. Another six of the massive metal wheels rained down on Laurent’s convoy, some of the metal plates getting pulled along. This time one of the cars was hit head on, flipping the BMW over on its front. The Humvee was not so lucky either, clipping one with it’s right wheel, and flipping onto its side in a continuous roll. Two more cars were taken out in quick succession, getting tossed around like a child’s toys.</p><p>Seconds later, the top row of the second full pile came tumbling down, one of the plates whipping about, slicing through the front of yet another car. The result looked as though a massive giant had pulled the front of the car in two different directions, as though it had been peeled open.</p><p>“Do not let him get away! Do not let him get away!” Laurent shouted into his radio. The armored truck, speeding past the wreckage of Laurent’s convoy, barreled towards Percy and Annabeth. Percy, pushing one of the wheels that had not fallen yet, groaned at the weight, before managing to get the wheels to topple off. The set of wheels hit the front of the truck, forcing the heavy vehicle to flip end over end, before landing back on it’s wheels. For a second, it looked as though the mighty truck would keep coming, but it slowed to a stop. The force of the impact had killed the engine, and all but destroyed the front of the truck.</p><p>Annabeth, having seen what just happened, looked at Percy. “Good job!” She told him, and the two just looked at one another.</p><p>“We’ve got to bail out of here. There’s police choppers inbound.” The pilot told Laurent as his car slowed to a stop by the wreckage of the armored truck.</p><p>“Black Wasp, take out the truck!” The object that had been under the tarp earlier, roared through the sky with a pilot hunched over as if on a motorcycle, while the gunner sat back, holding onto the machine gun attached to the back. The Black Wasp was, for all intents and purposes, was a bulky, yet sleek wheeless motorcycle with a pair of small wings and one small jet engine. The vehicle buzzed by, speeding towards the truck with Percy and Annabeth on the back. Already, police were racing towards the location as Laurent and one of his men helped the survivor of the armored truck’s crash out. </p><p>“Troy, you all right? Let’s go!” The second man said, tugging Troy out the rear doors.</p><p>“Cops! Cops!</p><p> </p><p>Already a quarter a mile away, the Black Wasp gained on the truck, and moved to keep pace. Percy and Annabeth, seeing this flying vehicle approaching, moved towards the cab, ducking down behind the remaining wheels still on board. The gunner aimed for the wheel housing on the truck’s right side, and fired several short bursts. The shots impacted, causing the truck to stop in place, hitting the concrete barrier as it did. The air vehicle accelerated around to make another pass, giving Percy and Annabeth time enough to reach the cab and hide behind the cover. “He’s coming back! Stay down Annabeth!” Percy, seeing a pole and chain resting on the truck bed, picked it up. Waiting for the right moment, he hefted the pole up with both hands and peeked around the corner. </p><p>The gunner began firing, the bullets impacting all around his head, forcing Percy to duck a little more. Right as the vehicle passed by, he swung the pole, sending the chain whipping around and hitting the gunner, who in his panic to stay on, aimed his gun down and fired without meaning to. The bike landed with a screech, knocking the gunner off as the dead pilot had already fallen off. Seeing the now unmanned bike, Percy and Annabeth stood from where they had ducked behind the truck bed wheels and raced to the bike. Percy lept on the moment he reached the bike, Annabeth climbing on behind him. The sirens in the distance continued to get closer, lights flashing down the highway.</p><p>“How do you know what you’re doing?” She shouted over the cacophony of loud noises.</p><p>“I don’t know!” Percy admitted with a shout. Pulling the trigger on the handle, the bike began to shoot forward, before Percy angeled the bike as it moved away from the coming police cars. With a flash, the engine seemed to gain serious speed, as soon they were flying off the ground. Sparks sprayed as one of the wings got too close to the ground, but the longer he flew, the easier it became for him, getting the hang of the boke’s flight controls. Percy flew the bike over and past other cars on the highway, dodging past them at fast speeds. Finally gaining enough momentum, the bike accelerated from the ground.</p><p>Not too far away, another Black Wasp bike was following behind.</p><p>Percy brought the bike up, banking around two towering buildings, dodging between the rails of the trams linking each tower together, before diving close to the street. Their bike whipped past moving cars, before accelerating higher again. By then, another bike had joined the second Black Wasp, speeding through the center of the city. The HUD on the gunners’ helmets locking onto Percy and Annabeth’s bike with a consistent beeping sound, before they opened fire. The bullets whizzed harmlessly by, narrowly avoiding the fast moving vehicle. Right as they were passing an intersection, one of the trams roared right in front of the leading pursuer, an explosion of flames shooting through the other side of the much larger vehicle as the bike, pilot, and gunner were obliterated from the impact.</p><p>Spinning their bike into a barrel roll, Percy dodged past a couple of trams right as they appeared, occasionally glancing back at their remaining pursuer. Angling up, he dodged even more trams, spinning as he did to avoid collision. Banking around another at a steady incline, Percy shouted back, “Hold on!” The bike’s booster thundered, sending the two speeding away, and into the path of the military helicopter.</p><p>“Look out!” Annabeth shouted. Tilting to the right at a ninety degree angle, he pulled away from the black aircraft, and sped into the building they had just banked around. The glass was no match for the heavy bike, shattering on impact as the two held on for dear life, Losing power, the bike continued to skid along the floor down the hallway of black walls, sending the office workers inside to run screaming. One man, unlucky enough to not get out of the way in time, was shoved out of the way from behind, his legs getting thrown out from under him. More glass walls and desks were smashed as the bike continued sliding, sparks showering down as lights were destroyed.</p><p>“Hold on!” Percy shouted again, seeing the other side of the building rapidly approaching. The bike speared through the glass wall, some sixty to seventy floors above the ground. A cascade of debris followed the bike down before hitting a large red ‘R’ sign that was attached to the side of the building, Percy and Annabeth getting thrown from the impact. They hit the top of the letter, Annabeth sliding off the edge.</p><p>Percy reached out and grabbed her outstretched hand, and held on. She was now dangling by a single arm over sixty floors in the air. The impact of the bike had damaged the sign’s supports, causing the massive R to begin to fall away as several supports broke.</p><p>“Don’t let me go!” Annabeth pleaded, having glanced down as she grasped for his hand with her free one. Percy laying on his stomach, felt a great amount of pain in his arm as he held her.</p><p>“I got you! I got you!”</p><p>“Don’t let me go, Percy! Don’t let me go!” Her hand began to slip, as more debris fell from the sign’s edge. “I’m slipping! Don’t drop me Percy!”</p><p>“I’ve got you!” They kept shouting to one another. Using what strength he had, Percy slowly pulled Annabeth from the ledge, before he managed to pull Annabeth onto the ledge beside him. “Climb up!” For a moment, the two just lay there, Annabeth on top of Percy, staring into each other’s faces.</p><p> </p><p>Down on the ground, Laurent stared up at the tower, and spoke into his radio. “If there’s no way to get our fugitives quietly, you need to take them out.”</p><p> </p><p>The two men he was talking to inside an elevator heading to the same floor pulled out the police tags and slapped them to the front of their vests, one holding a side arm, the other a rifle. The one with the side arm had a badge clipped to his side, the golden shield of a police officer.</p><p> </p><p>Outside, the military helicopter flew around, going to get a better angle on the two laying on the sign. “I see our targets about seventy stories up.” The Pilot alerted the others over his radio headset. “They’re on top of the building logo.</p><p> </p><p>Back in the elevator, the two men listened to the elevator music, and looked at one another. “Tough day.” The man with the badge told the other. The elevator dinged at floor 70, and the doors opened. “Let’s roll.” Stepping out into the hallway, they started heading towards the balcony. “LAPD! Get away from the window!” The man shouted, raising his badge.</p><p> </p><p>Percy and Annabeth clambered around the sign, moving behind the highest supports still connected to the sign, and began climbing down the interconnected frames. The helicopter, hovering around nearby circled on them.</p><p> </p><p>“Jay, you got him?” One of the men at the opening the bike had asked, both raising their weapons and aiming down at the sign. “Right there! Right there! Get him! Get him!” The same man pointed down to where Percy and Annabeth were scaling down the supports. They opened fire, tapping the trigger instead of holding it down to fire more accurate shots. The rounds sparked off the metal supports, missing the two of them, and impacted on the windows behind the two climbers. Reaching the center of the ‘R’, where it was hollow enough for them to slip inside they hid from the bullets, ducking down.</p><p>“Stay there! Damn it!” Percy shouted to Annabeth, moving to the other side of the hole, both using the walls as cover. “Stay down!” The two crouched down. Right as the helicopter buzzed by, Percy gestured for Annabeth to go to him. Wrapping his arm around her, he shielded her with his body, but each shot missed impacting on the sign instead.</p><p> </p><p>“Gonna swing around to get a shot.” The pilot said. The door gunner, cocking back the large machine gun he held, leaned out the open door, and raised the weapon to fire.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s coming back.” Percy realized. With the bullets still raining from above, he shielded his head with a hand, ducking down. It was then that the supports snapped, a shower of sparks raining down as the sign tilted further away. The sign let out a groan as the massive metal structure fell away from the building, still connected by the lower supports. Percy and Annabeth, still inside the middle of the ‘R’, grabbed onto the edge, and held on for dear life. Power lines connecting to the sign continued to snap, more sparks cascading down.</p><p> </p><p>Laurent, slowly stepping out of his car, looked up in shock. “Oh, no.” The helicopter, not seeing the sign falling in time, flew towards it.</p><p> </p><p>“Whoa-oh! Hang on, hang on!” The pilot shouted, pulling back on the stick. “It’s coming off the building!” Indeed the sign continued to fall, hanging onto the building by the lowest supports, groaning loudly. The chopper, not moving away in time, caught the top edge of the sign as it came down, smashing the helicopter as though it were some massive fly. The resulting fire and debris exploded outward from the impact sight. </p><p>Then the last supports holding the sign to the building, failed. One after another the sign swung as one of the legs came unattached first, before the other followed, Percy and Annabeth still inside the falling metal structure.</p><p>On it’s way down, spinning from the way the leg supports had broken, hit the building twice, breaking the glass walls as it did, before sailing towards the ground. The destroyed husk of the chopper fell with it, burning a trail of smoke along the way. The sign hit once more, breaking off a large piece, Percy and Annabeth screaming the entire way down. </p><p>The red letter impacted against a massive multilayered scaffolding, the crash actually slowing the metal structure as it fell. Percy and Annabeth, dropping from the sign, landed on one of the net catchers the builders were using in the event someone fell off, while the sign and burning helicopter landed on the street. The chopper’s rotor landed on the roof of a nearby parked car, caving it in and activating the alarm. More debris rained down, smashing in several more cars, fire and sparks mixed in with metal and wood. People in thee street ran, screaming at the chaos around them.</p><p>Percy and Annabeth, gasping for a moment, started to climb up the netting, the poles that held the net up having snapped after impact. Alarms and sirens blared as a nearby hover train slowed to a stop, narrowly avoiding some of the wreckage that had landed on the raised track. Another man wearing a construction vest, knelt down gesturing for them to climb towards him. “Jesus must love you!” He yelled to them “That was the craziest mess I ever seen! Come on, girl!” He told Annabeth with an outstretched hand. “I <em> know </em> Jesus loves you.” He stated, getting a glance at her face. Down on the ground, emergency responders were already arriving.</p><p> </p><p>Back within the Facility, Dr. Zeus sat with Leo in Leo’s room. The two sitting on his bed. Leo glanced out the window, holding a cup in his hands as he bounced his knee restlessly. “Can you keep a secret, Doc?” He whispered.</p><p>“Why, yes, of course.”</p><p>“There is something going on around here - something you may not even know about.”</p><p>“What is it?” Zeus whispered back.</p><p>“Well, I’m not sure that The Contamination is real.” Leo nodded to himself.</p><p>“Why do you think that?” Zeus asked, eyes narrowing as he frowned in confusion.</p><p>“Okay, Percy told me that he found a… a flying bug in Sector Six.”</p><p>“Wow.” Zeus said, looking away.</p><p>“Right. And I think that might be why he thought he could leave.” Zeus’ head shot back to look at Leo as he continued talking.</p><p>“Have you told anyone else about this?” The Dr. asked.</p><p>“No, no, no, no, no. But I’m going to do some digging. I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”</p><p>“Yeah.” Was all Zeus said.</p><p>“And when I do, I’ll share my information with you.” Leo said, gesturing to Dr. Zeus.</p><p>Zeus nodded his head. “Thank you.”</p><p>Leo smiled. “I want to be helpful. I like it here.”</p><p>	“Good.” Zeus smiled with a sigh.</p><p>“But I really want to look into the lottery, too.” Zeus looked back to Leo. “Something’s wrong there.”</p><p>“Yeah. You know... “ Zeus started, rubbing his hands together. “You were one of the first of the Echo Generation. You’re very smart.” Zeus told him, before rising from his seat. “Yeah, I remember when I first came here…” Two others wearing guard uniforms handed a case to him, away from Leo, who was still smiling at the compliment. He took the case and placed it on the bed, opening the latch. “...a survivor, just like you. One of the first, in fact.” Leo, noticing the case, started to frown. “It’s natural, even healthy, to question the world we’re presented.” He chuckled, putting a hand to his chin. “You might even say it’s only… only human.”</p><p>	Before Leo could react, Dr. Zeus grabbed Leo’s head to prevent him from moving away, and jammed the needle he had retrieved from the case into Leo’s neck. Leo screamed out in pain, feeling the sharp needle penetrate his skin. Zeus, with a straight face, let go and stepped back.</p><p>“Aah! That burns!” He fell back onto his bed, one hand pressing against the spot the needle had gone, the other still holding onto his cup. As his body began to shake, he lost his grip on the cup, groaning in pain. Zeus turned to the two men. “Get me a list of all the Echoes in active population.” He ordered, before walking away, Leo still choking on the bed.</p><p> </p><p>Miles away, in Los Angeles, Percy and Annabeth had found refuge on a raised and covered walkway between two buildings, only a single story off the ground and away from the torrent of rain hitting the city. They sat against the railing, shoulder to shoulder, the stress and exhaustion of the day having worn them down.</p><p>“I saw his address - Perseus Jackson.” He told her after a moment. “We’ll go there when the rain stops.” Annabeth just looked at him, blood coating a part of her face, just like his own face. “It’ll be okay when we find him.”</p><p>“Okay.” Silence resumed, only broken by the sound of the rain pouring just outside of their little hideout. After several moments, she spoke up. “That little boy looked like me.” She said, or rather stated, sure of herself. “His mom is going to die, isn’t she?” She asked, looking at Percy, though they both knew the answer to her question. </p><p>“I don’t know.” Percy looked at her and smiled, though it only lasted for a second. </p><p>Staring into his eyes, she replied, “You’re lying.” Percy smiled at the fact Annabeth knew him well enough to tell he was lying, but that too only lasted for so long. She smiled at him in return, aware of what was going through his head, her smile fading as well. “It’s cold.” She stated, wrapping her arms around herself. Percy slipped his arm around her shoulder, and she leaned into him, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder. They stayed like that, silence reigning, and closed their eyes for the moment.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Wow, quite the chapter, huh? I had honestly forgotten some of this stuff had happened. That part with Leo was actually pretty difficult to get out. Watching that scene with the original character just did not have the same impact on me as it did with Leo in the man's place. Ouch, the feels. And knowing that Leo had no idea what was about to happen, made it all the worse.</p><p>I have a feeling that there will be two to three chapters remaining, if not a possible fourth, though I doubt it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter Five - The Sponsor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The year is 2019, just several years after The Contamination. The last survivors now live in a futuristic sterile colony, waiting for their chance to go to The Island. At random, a game called the lottery is played, using the names and faces of all the thousands of inhabitants of The Facility, save for the staff and the Director himself, before landing on the one lucky winner who gets to go to the Island.</p><p>Is The Island really the last uncontaminated place on Earth? Percy Six Echo is beginning to question things he doesn't understand, like how do they keep finding survivors, if everyone outside of the facility is dead? All the mean while, something keeps telling Percy Six Echo, something bad is about to happen.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello,<br/>Nice little surprise for who ever actually reads this. I just managed to get the time to finish the fifth chapter today, way sooner than I thought I would finish. Here's to hoping I can finish what may possibly be the final chapter before I get bogged down with classwork and homework tomorrow for the rest of the week.<br/>Thank you.</p><p>Now for the usual. This is a disclaimer; Neither the plot nor the characters are my own, those belong to Micheal Bay, Caspian Tredwell-Owen(Story writer) and Rick Riordan respectively. I am simply retelling the same story using different characters.</p><p>Now onto the show!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h3>Chapter Five</h3><h4>The Sponsor</h4><p>In the morning, They had called for a cab, and were taken to the coastline, where the building they were looking for was located. Much stranger than any building they had seen before, the structure was a mismatch of slopes and walls, all made of concrete. Getting out, they paid and walked towards the door, an off color panel with a key pad next to it. The taxi drove off, leaving the two of them. Above the keypad was a strange black half sphere with what looked like small lights on the inside. Glancing around, Percy looked closer at the strange device out of curiosity. The lights flashed red, sweeping from side to side, up and down, before the door unlocked with a click, and hissed open. The two looked at each other.</p><p>“Go in.” Annabeth said, grinning a little.</p><p>Percy looked at her with a frown. “I can’t.”</p><p>“I’ll go in.” She said, her smile deepening, and walked through the door.</p><p>“Annabeth. Annabeth!” Percy called, walking in after her. The door hissed closed behind them after they had entered. </p><p>Inside the building, the space was wide open, with natural light coming in and lighting the place up. Photos sat on the wall, showing a man who looked exactly like Percy, wearing a pair of aviators while he stood in front of a private jet. Other pictures showed the same man on a motorcycle, some showing him mid ride. A set of black stairs were off to one side, extending from the wall without a railing, leading to a small landing where yet another set of matching stairs were. Glass lights hung above the glass table in the dining room, and an overwhelming silence filled the place. </p><p>“Hello?” Percy called, looking around the room.”Hello?” The two looked at each other as no one answered him. Moving closer to the pictures, they studied them, slowly realizing it <em> was </em> Percy in the photos. Then he noticed photos of the ship he had seen when this all began, showing her cutting through the waves, and another with Perseus sitting in a fast looking car right next to it. Moving past the dining room, they continued into the living room and kitchen, no wall separating the two rooms. It was then that Percy saw the model of the very same boat, sitting in a large glass case. A silver panel an inch tall, and seven to eight inches wide proudly displayed the name; Renovatio. Percy laughed, seeing the boat from his dreams. </p><p>Annabeth, realizing someone was walking quickly up behind them, turned around, and stepped back. A man wielding a golf club cleaved down on Percy’s back yelling, knocking him into the glass table in the living room. Right behind here Percy had been crouching down. The glass table shattered on impact, and the man brought the club up for another swing, only to pause. As Percy looked up from his position on the ground, a pair of sea green eyes stared back. The man standing before him was wearing a pair of clear glasses, and a button up shirt, his black hair cut short and combed back. </p><p>	He lowered the club, gasping in surprise. Percy stood up, his own eyes wide. Annabeth, standing from where she had crouched down to avoid the club, stood up, and saw two Percys, staring at one another.</p><p>“Oh, my God.” The one wearing the glasses muttered.</p><p>“My name is Percy Six Echo. I’m your insurance policy.” His copy just stared at him, panting from his physical exertion. Unlike Percy Six Echo, Perseus was not as fit, though he did retain a close likeness to the man. Walking around him, Perseus just inspected him, still in shock.</p><p>“And what are you doing in my house?” He finally spoke, his voice in a scottish accent.</p><p> </p><p>Back at the Facility, Ganymede rushed into Zeus’ topside office. “Sir, sir…” He spoke up, a little out of breath from running. The Dr. had been standing in front of one of the walls designed to look like angled blinds letting in natural sunlight, a hand on his chin as he contemplated what to do. “You need to see this.” Ganymede told the man. “It’s, uh… it’s…” He tried, searching for a word, before looking at him with a smile. “It’s beautiful.”</p><p> </p><p>Entering the lab, Ganymede pulled up an old scan of Percy’s brain, and showed the results to Zeus. The image on screen showed little activity in the mind as he spoke. “This is the synaptic scan we took of Six Echo three years ago, right before we integrated him into the agnate population.” Waving the image to the side, a new one appeared, lining the images up side by side. “Okay, now this is his synaptic scan from a few days ago.” He spoke with excitement. On the screen the second image showed much more activity in the brain. “You can see how much the memory has grown. It’s like he’s experienced 30 years, not three - which is, obviously, impossible. Or maybe, maybe this is scarring from a cortical infection that we…” </p><p>“An infection can’t teach you Latin…” Zeus interrupted him, taking his glasses off. “Nor how to fly.” Taking the screen from Ganymede’s hands, he slipped his glasses on again and inspected it a little more closely. “They are memories…” He realized, “but they’re not his. They belong to his sponsor.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve seen you before.” Perseus told Annabeth, as he fiddled with her device using a small tool. “I’ve seen you in <em>Maxim, Esquire</em>...”</p><p>“<em>Maxim</em>?” She questioned.</p><p>“Oh, they’re men’s magazines.” He smiled, holding her bracelet steady. “Pictures of women with, um… little, tight, short…” The more he spoke, the more he slowed in his talking, eyes going wide. Unaware of what he was talking about, she kept looking at him, a frown slowly covering her face. “Stories, too.” He finished, though he said the word ‘too’ in a quieter undertone. “Anyway, you are very popular.” Perseus told her.</p><p>“Oh.” With a click, the bracelet opened. </p><p>“There we are.” He grinned. Up stairs, Percy had finished dressing, and went down stairs, his face significantly more clean than it had been. He was wearing a black suit, much like the one Perseus was wearing, albeit a different color. </p><p>“What is that?” Annabeth asked, noticing the red mark that had been hidden beneath the bracelet. </p><p>“That looks like some kind of thermal im…” Perseus started saying, touching her wrist with his fingers. He rubbed the skin, his eyes widening. “Boy, your skin is so soft.” He said, eyebrows furrowing. “Did you know?” He asked, then kissed her palm. She just smiled, not understanding his implications as he sat back with a sigh. Noticing his copy walk into the room, Perseus looked back at her. “I put some clothes out for you upstairs.”</p><p>“Thank you.” She responded, him still holding her hand. “No… thank you.” They continued staging at one another for a moment, before she stood up and climbed the stairs. Watching her leave, he whistled quietly to himself. Grabbing the tool and bracelet, he walked towards the kitchen, and picked up the bottle sitting there. “I keep expecting to wake up.” He told his copy, before taking a drink.</p><p>“I thought I was taller.” He shot back to the older man. Perseus coughed.</p><p>“I’m sorry to disappoint you. Come here.” He said, walking towards the kitchen island. Looking up the stairs where Annabeth had gone, he continued in a quieter tone. “She is unbelievable. How is it you’ve been around for three years and you end up with the kind of woman I haven’t been able to find my whole life?” Percy looked up the stairs. “Give me that.” Perseus gestured to the bracelet.</p><p>“She found me. She’s my best friend.” Perseus glanced up from his work, and just stared in disbelief. “Why do we sound different?” Percy just realized.</p><p>“I’m from Scotland.” </p><p>Percy, having his wrist free and stood up, imitating his copy. “I’m from Scotland.” He spoke slower, but his accent was spot on. Perseus looked at him.</p><p>“Hey, look, you’re creeping me out enough without that.”</p><p>“Without that.” </p><p>“No, really, cut it out. That’s enough.” Percy looked down.</p><p>“Yeah, that is enough. I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Like a freak show.”</p><p>“Yeah, it’s weird.” They stood in silence, Percy crossing his arms. “So you build boats?”</p><p>“Yeah, well, I design them. I draw them. Yeah, yeah.” He gestured to the glass case containing the boat he had been leaning against. “Here.” He walked off, Percy in tow.</p><p>“Started off with cars, motorcycles, experimental designs.” Perseus told him, showing him several early sketches he had drawn. “Anything that blew my hair back, really. Kind of a speed freak. You know? Petrol-head.”</p><p>	“Motorcycles.” Percy said, testing the word out. “Wow. It’s weird. I feel like I’ve seen these before.” Percy exclaimed, gesturing to the drawings.</p><p>“Yeah. It’s something I’ve always done. I never dreamt it would make me rich.” Perseus had left his office, walking back to the center of the room.</p><p>“What’s “Renovatio”?” Percy asked.</p><p>“”Renovatio” in Latin means “rebirth.” Subtle, eh?” The man asked, smiling at Percy. “Look… I have cirrhotic hepatitis - a parting gift from God for all my philandering.” Percy frowned, not knowing the word. </p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Lots and lots of sex.” Perseus grinned.</p><p>“Sex.”</p><p>“Sex, with…” Perseus’ eyes widened. “You’ve nev…? You’re a virgin?” Percy glanced away, still frowning at the unknown words. “You’re kicking around with her, and you’re a vir-virgin?” He whistled. “Okay, I’m not going to spoil the surprise. Boy, are you in for a treat.” Perseus grinned. “Look, um, my doctor said that my liver will start failing within the next two years.” Percy nodded a little, realizing what his point was. “I-I’m not good at all this shite, you know? Confessions and regrets.” Annabeth, closing the door behind her, walked out wearing dress pants and a dress shirt, the shirt untucked at the waist. The door closing caught Perseus’ attention. </p><p>“Look…” Percy started, remembering the reason they were even there, “There are people who are following us. They’re trying to kill us. The reason we came here is ‘cause we need your help.”</p><p>“Help you do what?”</p><p>“To show people what the institute does.” Percy glanced off to the side, seeing the face of the man who had taunted multiple times.</p><p>“But who’d believe it? I’m looking at you in the face, and I don’t believe it.”</p><p>“Who is that guy? I know him. Is he the Community Announcer?” The man, standing before a microphone, was speaking to an audience, the words Washington DC and White House behind him.</p><p>“He’s the president of America.”</p><p>“He has a clone.” Percy said, pointing to the screen.</p><p>“He’s an absolute idiot.”</p><p>“Yeah, I never liked him, either. Do a lot of people see this?” He asked him.</p><p>“The news? A lot.” Percy’s eyes narrowed.</p><p>“Then if we can get on there together, people will see us and they’ll know the truth.” Annabeth, listening to the two, walked down the steps, crossing her arms. </p><p>“Oh, so the idea is that we both just waltz down to NBC and see if they can slot us in after the weather?” Perseus’ eyebrows rose in disbelief.</p><p>Annabeth spoke up, having reached the ground floor. “This might not mean anything to you, but there are thousands of us… “ She walked to Percy’s side, the two looking each other in the eyes. “And everyone we’ve ever known is going to die in that place.” They both turned to Perseus. Perseus, looking at the two of them, glanced down and watched Annabeth slip her hand into Percy’s. He gulped, and looked back at the two of them.</p><p>“Help us.” Percy pleaded. For a moment, Perseus said nothing, then his face broke into a smile.</p><p>“All right. Let me just get my shoes, okay?” Clicking his tongue, he stood up from where he had sat down on the stairs, and made his way up to the third level. Closing the door behind him, he leaned against the wall and sighed.</p><p> </p><p>Back down on the ground floor, Annabeth had taken a seat at the table, holding a cup of water in her hand. Percy was pacing near the stairs, looking up every now and then. “Perseus, hurry up!” He called up.</p><p> </p><p>Perseus, having grabbed a small NOKIA phone and crouched down on the ground, pulling up the connection. “Zeus Institute.” He said to the device. Seconds later, on the much larger screen behind it, a woman showed up. </p><p>“Zeus Bio-Tech. How may I help you?”</p><p>“Yeah, this is client Perseus Jackson.”</p><p>“Hi, Mr. Jackson.” The woman greeted. Slipping off his glasses, he looked back up.</p><p>“Yeah, I was wondering if you could, uh, get someone who can explain to me why my insurance policy is sitting downstairs on my fucking sofa!” The woman started at his loud tone.</p><p>“C-Can you hold, please?”</p><p>“Sure.” Perseus said with a nod, still visibly angry. </p><p> </p><p>Minutes later, Perseus came down the steps, whistling to himself. “I’m sorry to keep you both waiting. I was getting myself… organized.” He smiled. “Okay, shall we go?” He asked the pair. “Are you ready?” He asked, throwing down a jacket to his copy, who caught it. Annabeth kept staring at Perseus, causing him to laugh quietly.</p><p>As Percy approached her, holding the other jacket Perseus had thrown, she grabbed his forearm and leaned in. “Something’s wrong.”</p><p>	“What?” He asked in the same quiet tone.</p><p>“His eyes are lying… the same as yours do.” Concern filling his eyes, he spoke to her again.</p><p>“You stay here.”</p><p>“No, don’t…” She tried protesting, but Percy stood up. </p><p>“Shall we?” Perseus asked, having noticed their little conversation, but was too far away to hear a word.</p><p>“Yeah.” Percy responded, even when Annabeth’s eyes begged him not to.</p><p>“Is everything okay?”</p><p>“Yeah. She’s going to stay here. In case they don’t believe us.” Percy responded.</p><p>“No, come on, we’ll all go. It’ll be good.” Perseus said, shaking his head.</p><p>“No. She’s going to stay.” His tone remained stubborn.</p><p>“Oh.” Was all that came out of Perseus’ mouth. Slipping on his jacket, Percy walked to the door as Annabeth looked back at the older man, unnerving him with her storm grey stare.</p><p>“Good luck.” She told Percy.</p><p>“Thank you.”<br/>
“Thank you.” They both said at the same time. Perseus pointed at Percy and chuckled, though his nervousness did not completely fade. “That’s…”</p><p> </p><p>Entering the garage, the two men were met with a silver car, the curves and angles suggesting it to be the same car from the photo. “Do you like it?” Perseus asked as the door closed behind them.</p><p>“Yeah. I’ll drive.” Perseus laughed, heading for the driver’s side.</p><p>“Oh, no, I’ll drive.” Percy looked up at him. </p><p>“No, really.” </p><p>“Do you know how?”</p><p>“Yeah. I taught myself.”</p><p>“But you don’t know their way.” Perseus brought up.</p><p>“Well, then, you can show me.” Percy moved past him, walking towards the driver side. The two sto0od silently for a moment when Percy turned back to look at him, before Perseus relented.</p><p>“Well, be careful. This is a V-12 ‘09 Caddy.” The doors on either side lifted up, kind of like a pair of wings. “750 horsepower. $500,000 car.”</p><p> </p><p>Back up on the top floor, Annabeth stared out the window, her hands braced against the glass. Turning her head to the left, something caught her eye.</p><p> </p><p>“Put your thumb on that.” Perseus directed Percy back in the garage. Doing so, the pad turned on, a blue color as the car engine started. Perseus chuckled. “You were worth every penny.” He said aloud. “We even have the same fingerprints.” He started tapping buttons on the panel before him.</p><p>“What are you doing?”</p><p>“I’m getting directions.”</p><p>“Hello, Mr. Jackson.”The car’s female computer voice spoke. “Where would you like to go?”</p><p>“KNBC News studio.” Percy glanced between Perseus’ face and the car, watching the two speak. </p><p>“One moment please.” The computer replied.</p><p>“Thanks… for doing this.” Percy specified when Perseus looked at him.</p><p>“That’s all right. I’d like to think you’d do the same thing, if you were me.” Tapping a button between them, the doors closed. Seconds later, they were speeding out of the garage and around the corner.</p><p>“How much did I cost?” Percy asked, gripping the steering wheel.</p><p>“Five million dollars.”</p><p>“Is that a lot?”</p><p>“It’s a small price to pay to cheat death.” Perseus replied.</p><p>Percy nodded his head, but gripped the wheel a little tighter as Perseus chuckled to himself.</p><p> </p><p>Annabeth, walking into the bedroom, walked into the massive closet, opening up drawers, before catching sight of a silver briefcase, opened, on the counter top. Inside was a pistol and enough rounds to fill the magazine. Next to the weapon, however, was a second imprint of where a sidearm was supposed to go, as well as a second row of bullets. Both were missing. Touching the weapon, her eyes narrowed, and picked the firearm up out of the case, The weight was not too different from the nail gun she had only used a day ago.</p><p> </p><p>At that moment, the light ahead of their car turned yellow, before flashing red. Percy, not knowing what the lights meant, continued driving.</p><p>“That’s a red.” Percy sped up. “It’s a red. Red, red! Stop the car!”</p><p>“”Why?! Why?! Why?!” Percy shouted back.</p><p>“Red light! Stop the car!” The vehicle screeched to a stop, just inside the intersection.</p><p>“What’s the matter?” Percy asked. “What’s the matter?”</p><p>“You wanker! It’s a red light! Stop! It means stop!”</p><p>Percy shook his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that.”</p><p>“You said you could drive!” Perseus shouted.</p><p>“Well, I-I do know how to drive. I just don’t know what the lights mean.” Right after saying that, the light sparked and collapsed, bringing the green road sign withit, causing Percy to flinch. A helicopter of the same make as the last one hovered behind where the sign had been, a gunner standing on the side of the vehicle, his weapon raised.</p><p>“I’m sorry; I’m not ready to die.” Perseius said, drawing a pistol and aiming the weapon at Percy’s head. Looking at the weapon, then at the helicopter, he responded.</p><p>“Me, neither!” Accelerating the car, Perseus was thrown back in his chair, losing his aim. The car drove right under the chopper, narrowly avoiding the landing gear by an inch. Percy swerved the car between other cars as he drove, keeping Perseus off balance.</p><p> </p><p>“Go, go, go, go!” Laurent, in another car, shouted into his radio. Tow cars and the helicopter gave pursuit.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you doing? Stop!” Perseus commanded, regaining his aim.</p><p>“No!” He shouted back.</p><p>“Stop the car now!”</p><p>“No!” Percy repeated. The car began to accelerate even faster, now that no cars were in the way. Diving into oncoming traffic, Percy kept swerving around the cars. “Whoa!” He shouted, nearly hitting a car as it drove past. The two other cars and the helicopter gave chase.</p><p>“I’ll shoot you! Stop the car!” Perseus commanded yet again.</p><p>“No!”</p><p>“Yes!”</p><p>“No!” Perseus reached over, attempting to take control of the car. Biting the hand that held the weapon in front of him, Perseus screamed in pain, before Percy punched the other man in the face.</p><p>“There’s cars coming at us in all directions!” Perseus screamed, as their car swerved on either side of the road, dodging the other vehicles. After nearly hitting the concrete barrier, Percy yelled out.</p><p>“Whoa!” One of the black BMWs smashing into a car that had crashed behind them. </p><p>Perseus put his hand on Percy’s face, and pushed, desperately trying to stop his copy. Instead, when his finger dropped into Percy’s open mouth, Percy clamped down hard. The younger man smacked the older one in the face in response to what Perseus had done. </p><p>The helicopter had caught up with them at that point, and the door gunner aimed his weapon, before firing the weapon. The rounds impacted with the rear window, cracking the glass. </p><p>“They’re shooting my car.” Perseus realized. More rounds hit the back, one even nicking the engine. “They’ve shot the engine.” He grabbed Percy’s engine and shouted. “They’ve shot my engine!” Slamming the man’s face into the dashboard, Percy kept driving. “Oh, God, my nose!” His words were muffled, having placed both hands over his mouth as he touched his nose. Percy had driven off the main road into what looked like some sort of warehouse area, driving past the massive buildings on the dirt road. </p><p>Entering one such warehouse, the car’s engine echoed in the massive space, the golden glow of the sun piercing through the warehouse windows. Percy sped through the warehouse, before spinning around. At some point the passenger door had opened, and was standing up at attention. Seeing no way of escape, Percy leapt out of the car, closely followed by Perseus. Tripping on some debris in the abandoned warehouse, Perseus tackled him to the ground.</p><p>“Where’d you think you’re going, eh?!” He asked, still holding the pistol iun one hand. The other cars had come to a halt, Laurent’s men dismounting in a hurry. Laurent himself drew a sidearm and approached the pair on the ground, aiming his weapon. “Flip over and get up! Perseus shouted.</p><p>“Get off me!” Percy yelled.</p><p>“Come on, get up!” Perseus didn’t relent, grabbing the back of Percy’s shirt. Tugging him to his feet, Perseus aimed his weapon at Percy’s head and let go. Percy, not seeing an option, raised his hands to show he was unarmed. Laurent looked between the two, unable to tell who was who. “No, no, no, no, don’t shoot him. I need him, I need him.” Perseus told Laurent, keeping his pistol up. Percy glanced away, before turning back to Laurent. “No, don’t-don’t shoot. He’s my clone.” Percy shook his head a little, looking back at Laurent. Glancing at Perseus, he turned back to Laurent.</p><p>“I’m Perseus Jackson.” He stated, in a perfect scottish accent. Perseus looked at him.</p><p>“What…? No, I’m Perseus Jackson!” He gestured to himself. “He’s lying! Shut up! I own you!” Percy justed looked at Laurent and shook his head. Laurent, still unable to distinguish who was who, aimed his gun at Perseus. “He’s the cl… I’m Perseus Jackson!” He yelled. “Don’t point a gun at me, you frickin’ idiot! He’s the clone. Look at him.”</p><p>“I’m not a clone! I’m Perseus!” Percy yelled.</p><p>“No, I’m Perseus! He’s lying!” Perseus’ voice was getting desperate, shaking his gun at Percy. “Point it at him!” Laurent’s aim changed again.</p><p>“No, I’m not.”</p><p>“Shut up!” Perseus screamed at him. “Shut up! You’re a clone!” Perseus whacked Percy in the head with the butt end of the weapon. “Shut up! I’m Perseus Jackson! Don’t, don’t…” While attention was away from him, Percy’s hand came up, slapping the bracelet he had nabbed back in the house onto the other man’s right wrist. They looked at him as his hand came down, before noticing the bracelet. Laurent’s aim changed one last time. “Oh, shit.” Perseus said quietly. The loud gunshot had Percy flinching away, as Perseus’ lifeless body fell to the ground.</p><p>Laurent lowered his weapon, and the room was silent for a moment. Percy, glancing down at the body, looked back to Laurent, and whistled. “Close.” He said, still using the scottish accent, before smiling. Minutes later, Perseus’ body was being placed in a plastic body bag, being prepped to be sent back to the Institute.</p><p>Outside, the two men walked side by side. “Do you think it’s strange that my insurance policy just tried to kill me?” Percy asked.</p><p>“I have found this whole operation strange.” Laurent responded. “Where’s the woman?”</p><p>“She said she was going out of state. To look for her sponsor.” Percy answered.</p><p>“You’ve been witness to certain trade secrets.” Laurent stated, turning towards Percy who stopped and turned towards him.</p><p>“You mean that they manufacture human beings who walk, talk, and feel - that kind of secret?”</p><p>“Have you talked with anyone else about this?” Percy let out a scoff.</p><p>“Who would believe it?”</p><p>“Can I count on that?” Laurent asked.</p><p>“The only thing you can count on is that people will do anything to survive.” Percy stated, stepping closer. “I just want to live. I don’t care how.” Percy turned, and walked off, Laurent just watching him as he went.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you.” Zeus said, sitting down in a chair inside of his office. “Thank you very much.” The smile on his face was that of relief. “Job well done.” Closing his phone, he let out a sigh, and clapped his hands together, grinning.</p><p> </p><p>Annabeth, hearing someone arrive, stepped under the main stairs, her back pressed against the wall.</p><p>“Annabeth? Annabeth?” Percy called, back to his old voice. He walked by the stairs, and stopped, having not seen where Annabeth was. Cocking the pistol, she sprung from her position, and pressed the barrel to Percy’s head.</p><p>“Stop.” Percy turned around, and looked at her.</p><p>“Hey, Annabeth, it’s me.” Her arm didn’t waver. “It’s me!” Her eyes searched his. They stood like that for several moments, before her arm began to drop. Percy let out a sigh of relief and smiled. Stepping towards him, she kept looking at his eyes, before glancing down at his lips. This time she knew what was going through her head.</p><p>“It’s you.” She whispered. Moments later, her lips were brushing his. Their first attempt at kissing was sloppy, but their second was more refined, more experienced than it should have been. Given they were clones, their ages accelerated to match that of their sponsors, it was no surprise. Pressing against each other's lips, they kissed each other more thoroughly. “Oh, wow…” Like teenagers experiencing it for the first time, they kissed with a passion, Annabeth reaching up to grab his face. Spinning them around, she pushed him back onto the stairs until he was laying down on them. The impact of his back against the wooden steps forcing a grunt from his lungs. Percy pulled back from another short round of emotional kissing.</p><p>“Wow, that tongue thing is amazing.” Annabeth grabbed his face again.</p><p>“I know. Open your mouth again.” More kissing, just as involved as they had been occurred, getting more and more heated as they went on.</p><p>“How come we never did this before?”</p><p>“Shut up.” Was all Annabeth said, before leaning back in. Minutes later, they had moved to the bedroom. Their shirts getting lost along the way. </p><p>An hour filled with exploration, making out and pleasure followed, and Annabeth was laying on Percy’s bare chest. “The Island is real.” She whispered to him. “It’s us.” They kissed again, much more chaste than it had been before.</p><p> </p><p>“How many are affected?” Zeus asked Ganymede as they entered the dimly lit reprogramming room.</p><p>“About half.” Ganymede opened a plastic umbrella, holding it above their heads as the water continued to rain down. “We’re seeing the same neural patterns in all of the Echos, plus every subsequent generation, the Foxtrots, Gammas, and Hilos.”</p><p>“We predicated our entire system on predictability.” Zeus said. “Six Echo has displayed the one trait that undermines it - human curiosity.” They had walked through the rows of tables, each with a clone on it. “So… we’re now facing four generations with the potential for defiant behavior.”</p><p>Ganymede looked at his boss. “Uh, what are you suggesting?”</p><p>Zeus turned towards him and stared. “A recall.” Taking the umbrella from Ganymede’s hands, he began walking away.</p><p>“Wait… wait, you mean, dispose of over $200 million worth of product?”</p><p>“Yes.” Came Zeus’ answer, leaving Ganymede standing there.</p><p>“Great!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, who would have thought? Perseus is-was a lying, backstabbing bastard. Oh, wait, Charles warned them before his death. </p><p>At least Percy and Annabeth finally got together, right? But wait, their friends are now going to die because they are too curious.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter Six - The Island</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The year is 2019, just several years after The Contamination. The last survivors now live in a futuristic sterile colony, waiting for their chance to go to The Island. At random, a game called the lottery is played, using the names and faces of all the thousands of inhabitants of The Facility, save for the staff and the Director himself, before landing on the one lucky winner who gets to go to the Island.</p><p>Is The Island really the last uncontaminated place on Earth? Percy Six Echo is beginning to question things he doesn't understand, like how do they keep finding survivors, if everyone outside of the facility is dead? All the mean while, something keeps telling Percy Six Echo, something bad is about to happen.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello,<br/>I am finishing this around 10:30 PM tonight, having found enough time after class, thankfully not having been given much homework, so now the story is complete. This was actually a lot of fun to write, so I hope you enjoy my written version of The Island, starring Percy and Annabeth.<br/>Thank you.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h3>Chapter Six</h3><h4>The Island</h4><p>“Cisco IP communicator.” A female computer voice spoke from one side of the room where Percy was sitting, reading a magazine. The screen booted up, showing the words ‘INCOMING CALL’ on the panel. “Connecting to Zeus Biotech.”</p><p>After a second, a man’s face came on screen. “Mr. Jackson. This is Ganymede, the Public Relations Director over here at Zeus Biotech.” the man said, smiling into the screen. “I… And my deepest apologies for yesterday’s unfortunate, uh, inconvenience you had. Your defect in your policy wasn’t - by no means - an isolated incident, and it is totally correctable, I assure you.” Percy had moved from his seat to a closer spot, leaning in towards the scree to get a better look. “We are calling other valued clients, right now, to inform them of a recall. So, please, call us when you get…” Percy pressed his thumb against the button with the words ‘Take Call’. The system immediately informed Ganymede that the call had been accepted.</p><p>“”Unfortunate inconvenience”?” Percy asked, slipping back into Perseus’ Scottish accent. “That’s a bit of an understatement, don’t you think?”</p><p>“Mr. Jackson, you’re home. Aren’t you traumatized, sir?” He asked Percy with a frown. “I mean, I-I-I had a home invasion once, where they put the gun to my head. I never forgot that. I shook for two days.”</p><p>“What kind of recall are you talking about?” Percy asked, getting straight to the point.</p><p>“Oh, um, it’s a small defect that we found in four of our product lines.” Ganymede responded.</p><p>“What are you going to do with the defective products?” Percy spoke the word ‘defective harshly.</p><p>“Oh. Starting over.” Percy stood up, realizing the implications.</p><p>“Starting over?”</p><p>“Absolutely nothing to worry about. We guarantee our product 100%. Um, the unfortunate inconvenience for you is we’re going to have to bring you back in to rescan you so that we can regrow your policy. Does today work for you at all?” Percy stared at the computer screen. “Pick you up by helicopter at 3:00?”</p><p>“I’ll call you back.” Was all Percy said, and ended the call. Turning his head, he looked up at a barefoot Annabeth, still wearing the shirt from earlier that day, sitting on the top steps, looking back at him. After a moment, she looked down, knowing they would be going back.</p><p> </p><p>“Dr. Zeus,” A man asked in his video conference. “How do we remove the defective products from the population, without, uh, disturbing the others?” </p><p>Zeus grinned. “We already have the mechanism in place.”</p><p> </p><p>“Travis Two Foxtrot.” The woman spoke from the screen, and the crowd cheered as a man put his hands to his head, a look of shock and joy on his face.</p><p>“Piper Five Gamma.” More cheers as another was selected, this one a woman, her native american ancestry visible from her skin alone.</p><p> </p><p>“Mass winnings.”</p><p> </p><p>After learning the fate of their friends, the two had moved to the upstairs concrete covered balcony, and were looking over the glass railing, out over the massive docks in the distance. “He kept a journal and a lot of maps.” Percy spoke up, glancing at Annabeth as she sat down. “And after I figure out how to get that thing in the water,” He pointed to the <em>Renovatio</em> Which was laying in a small dry dock, right beside the house. “Then we can get on it and…” He looked up at the sun in the distance, a beautiful mirage of oranges and yellows. “We’ll keep heading south.”</p><p>Annabeth grinned up at him. “We could live like real people.” She said wistfully.</p><p> </p><p>“Hazel Two Foxtrot.” The PA system continued. “Nico Two Hilo.” More cheering erupted, people shouting congratulations and clapping as the men and women made their way up the steps before them, where guards and other staff waited.</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll disappear.” Annabeth looked out at the horizon, smiling at his words.</p><p>“Yeah.” She agreed quietly.</p><p>“But after.” Percy stated, turning back to her. She turned to look at him as he crouched by her side, the sun light illuminating them both with it’s golden rays. “All those people we left behind…”</p><p> </p><p>“Grover Three Echo.” Grover, hearing his name, began making his way through the crowd as the people around him clapped and cheered. He approached the steps, the reality that he had finally been chosen setting in. Reaching the massive landing, he turned back around to look at the rest of the crowd, all smiling and clapping. Rejoicing over the fact so many of them were going to The Island. Grover folded his paper in his hands, the one with the formula he had written, no longer needing that hope to drive him forward. One of the staff approached him, and directed him to a door off to the side where the others had gone.</p><p> </p><p>“When we were escaping… I-I saw his room.” Percy remembered. “If I could get in and shut it down, they’d see the truth.” They looked at one another as Percy gently touched Annabeth’s cheek, before leaning in. They kissed one more time. Unlike the others, either filled with passion, or peace, this one was slower, more like a final kiss goodbye.</p><p> </p><p>“Gentlemen… “Zeus continued, looking at the different board members on each screen. “There is, however, another matter that requires board approval; The disposal of $200 million of infected product. All in favor?” He asked, clasping his hands together.</p><p>“Aye.”<br/>
“Aye.”<br/>
“Aye.” Came the replies. </p><p> </p><p>Within minutes, teams were sent out to the incubation room, where they began cutting open the bubbles of each growing clone. Water and nutrients spilled to the floor, and the beating hearts of each, came to a stand still. The bodies of the nearly complete clones moved around, almost like babies, before they too, stopped moving. </p><p>Inside the reprogramming room, another team carried cases of bottles of Dehalcynate, a drug that was fatal in its concentrated form. Sucking up the concentrate from several of the bottles into syringes they had, the team began to methodically go across the room, inserting the needles into the defenseless clones. The living clones that had once filled the room, started gasping for breath right as the drug entered their systems, before seizing up and shaking on the table, just as Leo had done, before going still.</p><p> </p><p>Percy, inspecting photos of his sponsor, began to move around the large closet, gathering clothes and accessories that made him look much more like Perseus.</p><p> </p><p>Having dressed and gone outside to the nearby park, trying to distract herself from the dangerous mission Percy was about to go on, Annabeth noticed half a dozen kids asking their chaperon for ice cream. Walking towards the stand, she smiled, and proceeded to buy the frozen treat for them, having taken Charles’ credit card.</p><p> </p><p>Percy slipped on a black jacket, before picking up an expensive looking watch.</p><p> </p><p>“Here you go.” Annabeth said, crouching in front of the last kid, holding out his ice cream cone.</p><p>“And what do you say to the nice lady?” The female chaperone asked the kids.</p><p>“Thank you.” Came the chorus of little voices. Annabeth smiled, glad she could help.</p><p> </p><p>Slipping on a pair of sunglasses, Percy inspected himself in the mirror, and saw Perseus staring back. </p><p> </p><p>Annabeth swiped the credit card over the scanner, none the wiser to what was about to happen.</p><p> </p><p>Several miles away, Laurent and his men got a notification, as their computer zeroed in on her location.</p><p> </p><p>Annabeth inspected the card with a frown, before walking towards the nearby swing set, looking out over the horizon at the sun, and waited.</p><p> </p><p>In that exact moment, Percy had already boarded a white Zeus Biotech helicopter, and was in mid flight heading for the Institute, out in the middle of the Nevada desert.</p><p> </p><p>Just minutes after Annabeth had sat down, rocking on the swing, several cars pulled up at the curb of the road, Laurent, wearing a pair of sunglasses, followed by several of his soldiers, quickly dismounting. The African American man glanced around, before spotting her, and gestured to either side, for his men to divide and move in on her from different directions, to prevent her from escaping. All the while jogging in her direction. her direction. Annabeth, still swinging gently, had no clue what was going to happen, instead staring out at the sunrise over the water. </p><p>Before she could get off the swing, Laurent had her by the shoulder, and was pushing her in the direction of the cars they had arrived in. The force of his grasp on her shirt caused the hem of her shirt to ride up. “N...No!” Annabeth fought back, but Laurent’s grip was like that of iron. “No… no…”</p><p>Back in the car, he slid his glasses off, and looked out the window, before glancing at Annabeth, who was rubbing the thermal imprint on her wrist, knowing exactly where she was heading. A single tear fell from her eye, as she too glanced out the window, remaining silent. Laurent glanced away again, his only train of thought, ‘Did I do the right thing?’ </p><p>Minutes after, the two military grade helicopters were flying towards the institute. “Inbound, Annabeth product.” One of the control room operators called out. The chopper carrying Annabeth set down on a raised pad, where she was helped out by Laurent, before being escorted by him to a pair of guards who waited on the steps leading to the pad.</p><p>“Escort her to Surgery Prep Seven.” The same operator spoke into his headset mic. </p><p>“I better say hello.” The guard she had hit in the face several days ago told him, standing over the operator’s shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, within the Institute itself, Percy sat in a waiting room, just staring at the wall opposite him. Ganymede, walking down the hallway to the room he was sitting in, cleared his throat as he approached. “Mr. Jackson, thank you for coming. It’s great seeing you again and we are so, so sorry about this entire episode.” He reached out his hand for Percy to shake. Percy, accepting the hand, stood several moments after.. “Um, I want to tell you that we’re going to be birthing a brand-new agnate for you free of charge. Won’t cost you a penny.” Ganymede smiled at Percy, whose face remained emotionless. “A-After you.” He gestured down the hall. “Would you like an… an apple, an afternoon snack, at all?” Percy merely turned and started walking down the hallway.</p><p>“No.” Percy responded, not looking back. Once again he had slipped into the Scottish accent. “How long will this take?”</p><p>“Oh, it’s going to take about an hour.” Ganymede replied, hustling to keep up with Percy’s long strides. “You know, I read that you’re from Scotland. I prefer Ireland myself. But what part exactly in Scotland…?” Percy looked down as he walked, taking his shades off.</p><p>“Mr. Ganymede, I realize that this small talk is just part of your job, but let’s cut the shite, okay?” Ganymede nodded quickly.</p><p>“Point taken. My apologies. Um, I’m just a bit of a jabberjaw.” He admitted. “Chatty Cathy.” The man said to himself, before pointing down a hallway. Turn right. This way.” </p><p> </p><p>In another section of the Institute, a guard used an ID card to unlock one of the glass doors leading to the pad outside. Moments later, Annabeth being escorted by Laurent still, his hand around her upper arm, walked through. “I’ll take her.” The man sporting the wound he had gotten from Annabeth’s swing said, reaching for her other arm. Laurent let go, watching as the pair walked down the hall, and out of sight. As the two were walking down the hall, Annabeth turned to look at Laurent, him meeting her eyes. The two just stared at one another, remaining silent. She turned around as the guard squeezed her arm.</p><p> </p><p>“This is gonna be the exact same routine as last time, Mr. Jackson.” Ganymede led Percy into a completely white room, a single flat black cushion the shape of a bed sat, one end just inside of a massive white ring. Towards one end of the room  sat a grey cushioned chair. Above it a mirror that nearly spanned the length of the wall. “Oh, mind the hose.” The Public Relations Director told Percy as an afterthought. “Technician will be here shortly. Look at you, so young and successful, I always wanted to get my-.” Before he could say anymore, Percy, who had been standing behind him, shoved Ganymede face first into the scanning bed, knocking the man on the backside of the head with the same pistol Perseus had held to his head. Glancing down at the weapon, then at the man on the floor, he walked out of the room.</p><p> </p><p>Annabeth was laying on the bed, a sheet had been pulled up to her chest, covering her right arm, but she hadn’t been undressed. The guard who had escorted her to the room watched a lab tech push a cart of drugs and tools to a monitor just a couple feet from the bed, before turning to look at her. She glared back as he knelt down to her level. “I hear they’re taking your kidneys… your lungs… your heart.” She looked away, glaring at the ceiling instead, before glancing back at the man. “They’re gonna hack you up.” He then glanced down at the sheet, and raised it a couple of inches, shaking his head as he clicked his tongue. “Too bad.” He stated, looking back at her face, </p><p>She watched him as he circled around her bed, walking towards the door, when she acted. Reaching under the sheet with her uncovered arm, she grasped for something near the front of her jeans. With one fluid motion, she flung the sheet off of her, and raised both of her previously covered arms, revealing the pistol she had held to Percy’s head when he had come back, and fired. The round impacted the guard in the thigh, causing him to fall to the ground with a scream. “No one is touching me!” Turning to the lab tech, she aimed the weapon at him as well, but did not fire. Her eyes had gone hard, losing all the fear she had previously been showing to all of the guards who had taken her. </p><p>“No, no.” The man pleaded, his arms up in the air.</p><p>“Give me your Tri-Key.” She commanded. The man didn’t have time to say or do anything as the moment she hopped down from the bed, she grabbed the small device from around the man’s neck.</p><p>“You shot me!” The guard shouted out in pain. Stepping towards him, she pressed the gun against his head.</p><p>“Shut up! Give me your walkie!” The guard reached for the radio and passed it to her, still sitting on the ground. She slammed it onto the table and grabbed a piece of cloth from the table. “Get down. Get down now!” She yelled at the lab tech, who did as she ordered.</p><p> </p><p>Percy, having grabbed a white lab coat sneaked through a room filled with massive crates, before reaching the door on the other side.</p><p> </p><p>Annabeth, having tied the two men’s arms together so they were back to back on the ground, closed the door, also wearing a lab coat she had stolen, before locking the door with the Tri-Key she had. With a click and hiss notifying her the door locked successfully, she turned and walked down the corridor, holding onto a small piece of paper she had one of the two men draw a map of the corridors on. </p><p>Passing multiple people, she kept walking, turning corners and glancing down at the paper every now and then. Catching sight, she ducked her head down, looking at the map again. She slowed, but kept walking, looking to her left, only to notice Percy behind the glass door, shaking the glass a little to get her attention. Unlocking the door with her key, the door light above blinked green, and Percy walked through to her.</p><p>“You all right?” He asked her quietly, not at all surprised to see her.</p><p>“Yes.” She responded in the same quiet tone.</p><p>“Come on.” Percy put a hand on her waist, directing her back down the pathway she had come from as the door at the end of the hall closest to them opened. The pair walked together, moving in a hurry.</p><p> </p><p>“I had this figured out.” Grover told the man beside him, waving a hand at the paper he held. The group of people who had won sat on benches in a hall, as they waited for someone to tell them where they were going next. “I kind of…. I-I-I messed it up in one area, right down in there, but the hole doesn’t matter.” A guard walked out of a nearby door, heading for the group with purpose. Seeing the guard, he folded the paper up again. “Something’s happening. Something’s happening.” He said in excitement. “Hello, sir. Hello.”</p><p>“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience. I’m sure you’re very excited to get to The Island. Now, if you can grab your personal belongings and line up in a single-file line and follow me, we’ll be on our way.” The guard said. </p><p>Behind him, just walking past, Percy and Annabeth noticed the small group of clones, and heard the tail end of the conversation. Backing up behind the corner, Annabeth peeked around the edge, and watched the group rise to their feet. Turning to Percy, she grabbed his hand. “Take this.” She said, placing the key in the palm of his hand. “Go. You have to keep going.” Percy looked at her, then around the corner. “Go. Go.” She told him.</p><p>Stepping around her, he looked into her eyes as he passed. “Okay.”</p><p>“Go shut it down.” Nodding his head, he turned back around, and jogged forward down the direction they had been heading. Annabeth, leaning against the wall, looked the other way, before walking into the corridor, following the group of clones.</p><p> </p><p>Entering through the door that had been at the end of the hallway, he took off the coat, and hurried down the stairs. The room he had entered was large, filled with humming machines and yellow pipes, the walls concrete and metal rather than the white from the hall.</p><p> </p><p>“I love that Picasso.” Zeus spoke to Laurent inside of his office within the Facility. Laurent, who had been admiring a piece of artwork while standing next to the glass desk, looked over to Zeus. “Do you like Picasso, Mr. Laurent?” Zeus was holding a folder in his hands, walking towards the desk. Laurent shook his head with a frown. You delivered on your promise.” Zeus said, sitting behind his desk, the folder laying before him. “Well done, I’m very pleased. Thank you.” The Dr smiled at him.</p><p>“What about the client, Annabeth Chase?” Laurent asked, not smiling.</p><p>“She’s doubtful.” Zeus replied, looking back at the open folder on the desk, and writing in it with a pen. “Even if the transplants are a success, her brain damage may be too severe for any real recovery. I think you took too long bringing her back.” He said with a half smile, and flipped the page.</p><p>“So the girl I brought in, you’re going to harvest her, kill her anyway, even though it won’t make any difference?” Laurent asked, shaking his head a little.</p><p>“That’s the privilege our clients pay for, Mr. Laurent.” Zeus closed the folder, and stood up, picking the object up as he went. “Now do excuse me. I have business to attend to.” The man stated, walking towards the door to his office. Laurent sat down in one of the chair facing the desk.</p><p>“You know, my father was part of the Burkinabe rebellion.” The darker skinned man said, not looking at Zeus. The other man turned around, stopping where he was. Laurent looked up at the other’s face. “And when he was killed, me and my brother were branded… “ Laurent lifted his left hand, palm out, to reveal a burn mark on the skin of his palm. It looked like two ‘C’s, one mirroring the other, back to back. A line, slightly off center ran through them both. “...so others would know we were less than human.” He let his arm drop to his side. “I’ve seen and done things I’m not proud of, but, at some point, you realize war is…” He turned away, spinning a pen on the table. “...is a business.” He dropped his hand onto the slowing object, halting the pen. “So when did killing become a business for you?” The two stared at another for a moment, neither saying a word.</p><p>“Oh… it’s so much more than that.” Zeus smiled, walking back towards him. “I have discovered the Holy Grail of science, Mr. Laurent.” He stopped by the side of the desk, tossing the file onto the surface as he leaned in. “I give life. The agnates, they’re simply tools, instruments. They have no souls. The possibilities are endless here.” He paused for a moment, taking in a breath. “In two years time, I will be able to cure children’s leukemia. How many people on earth can say that, Mr. Laurent?”</p><p>Laurent blinked, leaned back in his chair. “I guess just you and God.” He smiled, while Zeus just stared. “That’s the answer you’re looking for, isn’t it?” Zeus said nothing, remaining where he was, before chuckling and shaking his head.</p><p>“Mr. Ganymede has your check downstairs.” Picking the file back up, he walked out of the room.</p><p> </p><p>Percy, walking through the Reprogramming room, rushed past the multiple beds, everyone of them full. While the water still poured over his head, the voice that usually played, was silent. He turned left and right every now and then, checking for anyone who might suddenly appear, but saw no one.</p><p> </p><p>“Looks like a single gunshot.” A doctor said, standing over the dead body of Perseus Jackson. Pulling the dead man’s arm up, he checked the wrist. “Oh, no.” Reaching for the other arm, where the bracelet still was, he glanced back up. “Wrong wrist.”</p><p>“Dr. Zeus.” The doctor spoke into the console, having called the director of the Institute. “The body that just came in… is the client.” Zeus stepped closer to the screen, and stared incredulously. </p><p> </p><p>Percy, opening another door closer to the generator room, made his way down a set of stairs, and walked quickly down the corridor, cocking the pistol as he did.</p><p> </p><p>“Issue a security alert: Percy Six Echo.” An operator up in the control room shouted to the others.</p><p> </p><p>Laurent, making his way down a white corridor, heard the alarm go off, emergency lights flashing red up above. He paused, inches from touching the door handle in front of him, and looked around with a frown.</p><p> </p><p>“Move! Move!” A guard shouted, as dozens of them sprinted through the armory, snatching up rifles on the go.</p><p> </p><p>Percy, jogging around the corner, entered the generator room, and walked towards the glass doors. Trying the handles, he found it locked, so he raised the firearm in his hand, and fired at the lock. The round bounced off of the metal, and ricocheted around several times, before the ringing stopped.</p><p> </p><p>“There’s a disturbance at the hologram room!” An operator called. </p><p>“I’m on it.” A younger man said, sitting before the building’s scanner. “Dr. Zeus. I’ve just sent censors to check out a possible attempted breach in Hologram Control.” Zeus, who had found himself one of the grappling rifles, looked up as the PA in his area sounded. Raising a hand to rub his mouth, he turned and walked out of the room.</p><p> </p><p>Annabeth, having caught up to the group of clones, quietly stepped down the stairs as she watched them all board an elevator, Grover at the forefront of the group. Two guards stood beside him. Unbeknownst to her, someone was standing only a few feet behind her, looking around the stairs. Right as the elevator doors closed, Laurent whipped around the corner, walking through the steam, causing Annabeth to turn just as quickly around to face him. She raised her weapon the very next second. For a moment, neither moved, then the dark skinned man began to walk forward, despite the weapon leveled in his direction. Annabeth, unable to pull the trigger, just watched as he approached, gasping with wide eyes. In a flash, he snatched the firearm from her, causing her to fall backwards.</p><p> </p><p>Seeing that the door wasn’t going to open for him any time soon, Percy stepped into the main portion of the room, underneath the giant fans. Searching around for anything to help, he noticed a lever on the side of the humming generator sticking out of the center of the room. Easily twice as large as him. The lever, much smaller than the generator, was locked in place. A giant sign saying ‘DO NOT SHUT DOWN WHILE FAN IS OPERATING’ marked the side of the massive machine. Right behind the lever, was another smaller red sign. ‘DO NOT DISCONNECT BREAKER, INTERRUPT CAUSES EXCESSIVE FAN SPEEDS’ </p><p>Percy glanced up at the fans, then reached for the lever with both hands. The bar itself was horizontally placed between two glowing white bars that connected it to the machine. Tugging on it with all his strength it didn't budge.</p><p> </p><p>“One after another, step into the room.” The guard told the clones, pointing to a large round looking cylinder room in the center of a large room filled with machinery.</p><p>“I’m going to The Island. Why did I leave my bag?” Grover asked, stopping in front of the guard for a moment, before doing as directed, everyone else followed him inside. Everyone but the guards, that is.</p><p>“Step right in. Thank you.” The guard ignored him, and stepped back towards a panel on the side.</p><p>“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Grover asked, turning back towards the opening. Another guard pressed a large red button on the room’s wall, which closed the large door to the chamber. “I… Are you new here? I don’t know if this is the way.” Grover shouted above the sound of the machines and the door closing. “It’s going to The Island…” The door closed with a loud bang, and the guard nodded his head to another. Now in full view, a word written in red paint could be seen on the door. ‘INCINERATOR’ </p><p>The turned to the side, and pressed a large button. The glass case that normally shielded the button having been raised. “I’m almost positive that you’re going the wrong way!” Grover shouted through the door. Just seconds after, two jets of super heated plasma roared out of the wall, and the people inside screamed. The guard remained at the window, staring inside to be sure the job was completed.</p><p>That was how Annabeth found them, as she walked down the steps heading to the same level the chamber and guards were on, Laurent right behind her. Annabeth raised her arm, and aimed the pistol in her hand.</p><p>“Open the door!” The guards, turning towards the, reacted almost instantaneously. One of the guards grabbing the weapon strapped to his thigh, only for Laurent to shoot him in the chest. Pointing his weapon towards the guard who had been looking through the window, he held his fire.</p><p>“She said open the door!” The man backed up, his arms raised and hit the button, causing the door to open. After there was space enough to walk through, Grover and the others stumbled through, covered in soot, coughing as they readjusted to the relatively cleaner air.</p><p> </p><p>Zeus, shuffling down the corridor leading to the generator, had his weapon raised.</p><p> </p><p>Percy, having found a wrench nearby, swung the metal object at the lock, and broke it off.</p><p> </p><p>Zeus, hearing the loud clang, picked up speed, and walked towards the room at a much faster pace.</p><p> </p><p>Percy reached u[p, and grabbed the handle with both hands, and pulled. The lever tilted down, releasing a hiss as it did so, and the fans high above began to spin faster. The pressure gauge on the generator rose steadily towards the red. A sudden snap, and the sound of rope being thrown caught Percy’s ears, a sound he had not heard since two days ago, just before a sharp pain erupted in the back of his left shoulder. Percy let out a scream of pain, and fell to his knees, grasping at the hook that had sunk into his flesh.</p><p>Zeus drew the rifle back, pulling on the hook, which caused it to pull at the skin around it. Percy screamed even louder, falling to his hands on the floor from where he was already kneeling. “You could’ve taken over his life, but you chose to come back.” Zeus spoke above the sound of the massive fans slowly speeding up. “You truly are unique, Six Echo.” He clicked the rifle back, preparing the second grappling hook loaded into the frame of the rifle.</p><p>Raising his head, a look of absolute determination crossed his face. “My name is Percy!” With a roar, he threw a red bar connected to two chains that was laying next to him, and swung it at Zeus’ left leg, tugging the limb right out from under him. Sprinting for the door, Percy left him there, only to be knocked to the ground as Zeus tackled him Punching him in the face, Zeus reared back, and punched him again, before Percy spun and rolled them over.</p><p>Above, sparks started to fly as the rotors spinning the massive fans took on too much strain, the fans themselves beginning to wiggle as they spun.</p><p>Zeus, having stood up, grabbed Percy and slammed his back into the wall, before throwing him at the glass doors to the Hologram Control room. Percy let out a grunt as he impacted with the shatter resistant glass. Zeus, taking Percy’s head, slammed his face into the glass, before grabbing the hook and pulling. Percy screamed in pain for a third time.</p><p>Back in the generator room, sparks shot from the generator, splashing onto the floor as the speed continued to build. Percy’s scream continued the longer Zeus pulled on the hook, once again forcing the younger man to his knees from the pain. A fire ignited between the fans, exploding as the fans took on too much strain. </p><p>All around the two, debris rained down as the walls began to crack and crumble, the explosion throwing both onto the ground. With a high pitched wine, the generator blew, sending a fire ball of flames and debris shooting from the center. The two sprinted from the chamber, just as the entire thing exploded, a shower of concrete, metal, and sparks raining on their heads as they ran. Zeus, leaping for the rifle, landed on the catwalk, and pulled, yanking Percy back towards him. Rising to his feet, Zeus kept the line taught, and walked towards Percy, even more sparks cascading down from broken lights hanging above.</p><p>From his position lying face up on the catwalk, he glanced to the side, and watched guards holding more grappling rifles come pouring out of the door. The metal started to groan, a tell tale sign that the metal would not last much longer. Zeus, still walking towards him, pulled the cord taught again, causing Percy to yell out. The older man stood over him, staring at the man who started this whole thing. For a moment, it looked as though Zeus would fire the last hok into Percy’s side, but he placed the rifle down next to him, and crouched before the prone man.</p><p>“I brought you into this world.” He said, glaring at Percy, right before pouncing, placing his hands around Percy’s neck, and started squeezing. Percy brought his own hands up in an attempt to stop him, but couldn’t break the older man’s grasp. “And I can take you out of it.” Zeus declared, putting more force down on Percy’s neck. The guards just stood there, at the ready, rifles aimed at the clone.</p><p>Glancing to his left, he looked at the rifle, then reached for it. Struggling against Zeus’ grasp, he strained his arm to reach it, before finally grabbing hold of the rifle. Bringing the weapon up, he aimed the barrel right at Zeus’ exposed neck, and fired.</p><p>A snap, and the sound of rope being thrown.</p><p>The hood embedded itself into Zeus’ throat, causing him to release his hold on Percy, who gasped for air, before standing up and turning towards the generator room that had begun to shake and moan. With one more scream of metal, an explosion blew through the glass in the building. </p><p>Percy, using the distraction, took the cord connected to the hook embedded in Zeus’ neck, and wrapped it around, creating a makeshift noose, and pulled. The fans let out one last high pitched scream, before the resulting explosion blew through the metal, and even through the concrete walls. Pieces of debris cam hurtling down as the chamber was torn asunder. </p><p>The catwalk the two were on shifted with a groan. Above, the fan, free of it’s connection, spun through the wall, and tore through the metal struts above, before slicing right through the panel of catwalk they were standing on, causing them both to fall off, one on either side of the walkway. The only thing holding the up was the cords connecting to the rifle, which sat on the walkway, equally balanced between the two men.</p><p>Inside the facility, the people heard the commotion, and felt the shock waves as the generator exploded, running to the nearest window. </p><p>Outside, The Island had faded, revealing the underground bunker they were in.</p><p>Zeus, grabbing for the cord around his neck, struggled to breath, between the noose around his neck, and the weight of his own body putting pressure on the rope. </p><p>Above, real sun light began to shine through the one remaining fan, large pieces, or even entire blades missing from the metal. The two swung for several moments, their bodies still retaining the momentum they had when they fell. Percy held onto the cord connected to his back, and grunted through the pain. Glancing up, he stared at the sunlight shining through the broken fan.</p><p>Inside, the clones had started to race towards the windows, all trying to get a glance at the sunlight shining down from above.</p><p>Zeus choked next to Percy, his eyes beginning to close, before he let out one last breath, staring up into the sunlight, and went limp. Percy, closer to the breach, hung in the sunlight, before reaching for the cord on his back. </p><p>Inside, the clones, realizing what the light was, started to shout in excitement, running for the doors. The staff and guards, trying to stop them, couldn’t do a thing, as there were too many clones on the run. They sprinted down the same corridor Percy and Annabeth had taken, the one leading outside, sprinting towards their freedom.</p><p>Laurent, holstering his weapon in the back of his pants followed the clones at a slower pace,</p><p>Percy, having been helped up, walked through a similar corridor, his head down, shoulders slumped in relief as he walked.</p><p>Laurent, watching the clones run passed, smiled, pausing for a moment. Grover led the charge, pointing up at what looked like lights, were actually square holes in the ceiling, letting in sunlight. The smile on his face was massive as he pointed up, feeling the warmth of the sun on his skin.</p><p>Clones by the hundreds, rushed out of the separate corridors into the world above, and paused to gaze at the sun in the distance. Grover looked across the plains in amazement, his mouth agape, before smiling in happiness.</p><p>There were thousands of them, as they all ran from the tunnels into the sunlight, running across the hillside until they arrived at the chain link fence, before they continued past. Smoke drifted up from the now broken turbine on the surface. The result of Percy’s tampering. They stopped and stared, before making their way down the slope, staring in awe at the sights around them. Annabeth, amidst the crowd, kept glancing around, looking for one in particular. She saw Laurent walking down the hillside who stared back, before catching sight of two sea green eyes staring back at her, as Percy made his way through the crowd.</p><p>Percy walked towards her, and the two just stared at one another, assuring each other the nightmare was finally over with. Wrapping an arm around her head, and she taking his face in her hands, they leaned in, kissing one another slowly, taking in the moment of peace. Embracing one another as they did so. Laurent, seeing this, looked away, giving the couple their moment alone. Above, clones flying one of the black colored helicopters flew overhead. </p><p>Annabeth glanced away, and looked towards Laurent, Percy following suit.</p><p>Laurent, seeing them look at him, smiled.</p><p>The thousands of clones continued running, stopping at a dirt ridge that overlooked the plains of the Nevada desert. </p><p>The clones, for the first time in their lives, were truly free.</p><p> </p><p><em>Days later..</em>.</p><p>Thousands of miles away, a small boat sailed through crystal blue waters, heading for a very familiar island down south. The green ridges and cliffs being the same ones they had stared at wistfully for nearly their entire lives, now actually physically before them. Percy and Annabeth, wearing a white shirt with beige pants, and a white dress respectively, sat on the bow of the <em>Renovatio</em> talking to one another, enjoying the sea waves and breeze, Their vessel continued on her current course, heading towards the one destination they had longed to go their entire lives, towards The Island.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I, of course, will be going back when I get time to re-edit and rework some parts of the story that did not come out quite right, but in the mean time, The Island is officially completed.</p><p>Thank you to whomever has actually read to this point. I hope you enjoyed my telling of the story as much as I did writing it, and I hope the story was worth your time. Please, if you could leave a comment or give Kudos, even if to only say you enjoyed it, would help me immensely to know if people actually like the way I wrote the story.</p><p>When I was writing this, I actually got the idea to do more of this, where I placed Percy and Annabeth in the spots of the main characters. I am unsure yet if I will, and even then I am not sure what movie to do next.</p><p>Anyways, until next time! Thanks!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Once again, I ask that you not spoil the plot in the comments. I understand the argument that the movie was released in 2005, but this story is a retelling, and thus has the same plot.<br/>Thank you.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>